Arunachal eyes international border trade from India’s first village, Kaho

India's first village Kaho, located along the McMahon Line in Arunachal's Anjaw district, is set to play a key role in India’s border development strategy. The village is among the 130 settlements being developed as model villages under the Vibrant Village Programme (VVP) announced in the Union Budget 2022-23.
 

Work has already begun in two to three villages of the Kibithoo circle, including Kaho. Earlier in December 2021, Chief Minister Pema Khandu had launched the state’s model village scheme, selecting Kaho, Musai (Meshai), and Kibithoo for development. A commemorative stone in Musai records that it was converted into a model village on 1 August 2018.
 

With India and China recently reopening three designated border trading points—Lipulekh Pass, Shipki-La, and Nathu-La—hopes are high in Arunachal that Kibithoo and Kaho could soon emerge as gateways for international border trade. Beijing, for its part, has already completed the construction of 624 “xiaokang” (well-off) border villages since 2017, two of which face Kaho across the Line of Actual Control and are visible on Google Maps.
 

Historically, Kaho, Kibithoo, and Musai were theatres of the 1962 India-China war, with Kibithoo falling to Chinese forces on October 22 that year. Today, however, the landscape is buzzing with construction activities and reverse migration, as locals who had earlier moved to towns in search of livelihoods are beginning to return.
 

The Meyor community, followers of Buddhism, resides in these border villages. Kheti Meyor, 60, a Gaon Burah (village head) of Kaho, credited the BJP government’s Vibrant Village Programme for transforming the region. “It is bringing development and attracting tourists from across the state and the world,” he said, pointing across the hills. “That is China. You can even see the New Tatu camp of the Chinese army (PLA) from here.”
 

Local women also voiced optimism. Madhuri Meyor praised Anjaw MLA and Minister Dasanglu Pul for accelerating development, citing the district’s unique attractions—India’s first sunrise point at Dong Valley, the first village Kaho, and its international borders with both China and Myanmar. Another villager, Radhika Meyor, highlighted how new fish ponds, cattle and poultry rearing, homestays, community halls, kitchen gardens, and improved roads under the VVP are boosting the local economy.
 

“Our forefathers used to cross into China before the 1962 war for barter trade. After the conflict, everything changed,” she recalled. “Now, with better roads and schemes, tourists are coming back, especially in winter.”
 

Arunachal’s efforts mirror China’s border infrastructure push but with a clear focus on livelihood, connectivity, and tourism. As peace talks continue between India and China, Kaho and Kibithoo may soon find themselves at the centre of a renewed era of cross-border trade and regional prosperity.