Why Are People Migrating from Arunachal’s Border Villages?
June 13, 2026
Arunachal Pradesh makes national headlines mostly when the border dispute with China is in the news. The conversation is usually about land, lines and security — but rarely about the people who live along these borders. This selective attention has had visible consequences.
More than 500 villages along Arunachal’s border areas have seen depopulation, with families leaving behind their ancestral homes, ways of life and cultures. With even the most basic facilities missing, many people say they had no option but to move in search of a better future for the next generation. But this migration — not by choice, but because of circumstance — has left deep wounds of neglect. For governments, the border has always mattered.
But the people living along it have had to wait much longer to matter. In this video, Newsreel Asia travels to Lower Dibang Valley, one of the districts in Arunachal Pradesh that shares a border with the Tibet Autonomous Region, controlled by China. Datru Mega, Pronov Mega and Deta Mega represent three generations of hill-inhabiting Idu Mishmis who have suffered the consequences of this neglect. But resilience is part of who they are. Despite having so little, they never gave up. Now, they are hopeful that recent border tensions have finally redirected the government’s attention to their area.