NEW DELHI — In a firm pushback against Beijing's persistent attempts to rename geographical features in northeastern India, the Indian government on Friday officially identified 27 key places and geographical landmarks in Arunachal Pradesh by their standardized names on the official Survey of India map.

The move aims to establish definitive cartographic recognition and build widespread public awareness regarding India's sovereign territory, directly neutralizing China's cartographic aggression in the region.

New Delhi has repeatedly rejected China’s periodic releases of standardized names for locations in Arunachal Pradesh—which Beijing refers to as Zangnan—labeling the attempts as "vain and preposterous." Indian officials have consistently emphasized that assigning fictitious names to Indian territories cannot alter the undeniable reality that Arunachal Pradesh is, has been, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India.

Strategic and Historic Locations Standardized

The 27 locations formally marked on the official map encompass historically sensitive and strategically vital sites along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Among the newly highlighted features is Long Ju, located in the Upper Subansiri district, which served as one of the earliest military flashpoints between Indian and Chinese forces in 1959. Nearby Maja village has also been formally cartographed alongside crucial high-altitude mountain passes including Dzo La, Riza La, Pukur La, and Thag La—the site of opening engagements during the 1962 Sino-Indian War.

Other key infrastructure hubs and historical sites included in the official mapping are:

  • Jairampur: A critical logistics hub in Changlang district that serves as the gateway to eastern border sectors supporting security troop movements toward the Myanmar frontier.

  • Jaswant Garh: Home to the memorial honoring 1962 war hero Jaswant Singh Rawat on the strategic Tawang route.

  • Sher-e-Thapa Memorial: Commemorating Havildar Trilok Singh Thapa, another decorated hero of the 1962 conflict.

  • Natural Landmarks & Villages: High-altitude water bodies like Sambho Sarovar, Bara Kundun, and Chhota Kundun, alongside settlements such as Sagar, Padma, Jyotinagar, Baisakhi, Dhan Bari, Pritnagar, Teritnagar, and Ramnagar.

Countering Beijing’s Narrative Warfare

China's Ministry of Civil Affairs began issuing "standardized" Chinese names for geographical features in Arunachal Pradesh in 2017, releasing subsequent lists in 2021 and 2023.

Indian diplomatic officials have maintained that such unilateral assertions derail ongoing efforts to normalize bilateral relations. By formally embedding these 27 standard Indian names into official government maps, India reinforces its territorial integrity with clear cartographic evidence and administrative documentation.