Connect with us

World News

China deploys PLA cooks, doctors to forge ties with Tibetans near India border

Published

on

China deploys PLA cooks, doctors to forge ties with Tibetans near India border

Rare details have emerged about how China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is helping residents of remote villages in building and maintaining infrastructure near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India as it pushes to develop dual-use habitats along the disputed border.

As part of its efforts to fuse civilian-military resources, the PLA has even deployed army cooks to teach local Tibetans how to make popular “Chinese dishes” in a village close to the India border.

The focus of a spot report in an official military portal this week was on Yumai, China’s last big border village, only kilometres away from the Upper Subansiri district in Arunachal Pradesh.

Advertisement

Yumai, in Longzi county, is located in Tibet Autonomous Region’s (TAR) Shannan area, which borders India and Bhutan – it is considered China’s first “xiaokang” or “well-off village”.

It made headlines in China in 2017 when President Xi Jinping wrote a brief letter to a family of Tibetan herders saying he hoped they “will motivate more herders to set down roots in the border area like galsang flowers, and become guardians of Chinese territory”.

The village, home to a single family until a few decades ago, is said to have dozens of families now.

“In recent years, Yumai has inaugurated an asphalt road, and in quick succession built schools, health centres, police stations and other public service institutions and units, and more and more people have moved here,” the military portal news report said.

Advertisement

The report did not mention the village population or why “more and more” people were moving to the remote location.

An August 2021 news report in the state-run China Daily newspaper, however, said the village then had 200 residents.

“The ‘three-person township’ expanded into a place that saw 20 residents in 1999 and 30 in 2009. Currently, it is recognised as a relatively well-off and beautiful place with more than 200 residents from 67 families. Villagers now take turns patrolling the border,” the China Daily report said.

Residents have opened at least “five homestays” with the help of personnel from the Tibet Military Region, part of the Western Theatre Command, which oversees the entire length of the Sino-India disputed border.

Advertisement

The rooms have televisions, oxygen generators and wifi.

The PLA has deployed military cooks to teach hotel owners how to make Chinese cuisine, the report said.

Hotel owners said until recently they did not know how to make Chinese dishes like “twice-cooked pork” and “diced spicy chicken” for tourists from the rest of the country. They do now, the report added.

Military doctors are dispatched twice a week to the village and soldiers on patrolling duty in the area have been instructed to call on the elderly.

Advertisement

The aim is clear – build a rapport with local Tibetans. “In Yumai, the military and civilians are one family,” the report said, quoting an officer as saying that a new chapter of deep friendship between the military and the civilians will be built.

Several villages have come up in the tri-junction between India, Bhutan and China, and a new village is said to have come up close to Longju, near Arunachal Pradesh, which witnessed the first clash between India and China in 1959, India-based Tibet expert Claude Arpi had told HT earlier.

The Chinese foreign ministry issued a strong statement last year when Indian media reports said it had built villages on the Indian side of the LAC, close to Yumai village.

“China’s normal construction on its own territory is entirely a matter of sovereignty,” the ministry had said in January, 2021, when asked about the new village.

Advertisement

Last October, China passed a new law to strengthen land border protection amid the ongoing military tension along the disputed boundary with India, firming up the military-civilian role in defending the country’s borders.

The legislation, the first such law since new China was formed in 1949, formalised combining the military defence of China’s land borders with improving social and economic development in border areas.

It strengthened the PLA’s policy to work closely with civilians staying in border areas – for example, Tibetan villagers living along the border with India, Bhutan and Nepal – to work as the first line of defence.

Complete News Source : Hindustan Times

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Hollywood

Stranded in Israel amid airstrikes, Caitlyn Jenner sips wine in bomb shelter and says, ‘Pray for us’

Published

on

By

Stranded in Israel amid airstrikes, Caitlyn Jenner sips wine in bomb shelter and says, ‘Pray for us’

The world watched in disbelief as Caitlyn Jenner, the Olympic champion turned global media personality, appeared on social media from a bomb shelter in Israel. Clutching a glass of wine, her video was both surreal and deeply human, capturing a strange blend of calmness and fear as airstrikes echoed above.

Jenner had traveled to Israel for a speaking engagement and wellness summit. The trip, meant to focus on self-discovery and global connection, took an unexpected turn as tensions in the region escalated. Within hours of her arrival in Tel Aviv, the air raid sirens began blaring. Israeli cities braced for potential attacks, and all foreign visitors were advised to seek shelter.

She was rushed by her team to a fortified bomb shelter inside her hotel, a space where several other international guests also gathered. The cemented underground room had minimal lighting, emergency supplies, and a haunting silence broken only by the distant thuds of intercepted rockets.

Advertisement

In that moment, Caitlyn chose to document the situation—not to sensationalize it, but to remind the world that even celebrities are not immune to war. She raised her glass of Merlot and softly said to the camera, “We’re okay, for now. But pray for us. This is very real.”

The video instantly went viral. The internet reacted with a mix of empathy, disbelief, and critique. Some applauded her for staying composed and using her platform to raise awareness. Others questioned the optics—wine in a war zone, they argued, might seem out of touch. But most agreed on one thing: this wasn’t a publicity stunt. It was a raw moment of a person caught off guard by war.

Outside, the Iron Dome system of Israel roared to life, intercepting rockets mid-air. The bomb shelter would shake slightly each time a missile was taken down. Caitlyn later shared how that sound felt—“like thunder wrapped in relief.”

Her family in the U.S., including daughters Kendall and Kylie Jenner, shared their support on social media, asking fans to pray not just for Caitlyn but for all those affected by the conflict. Kris Jenner reportedly stayed in constant contact with Israeli officials and the U.S. embassy to ensure her daughter’s safety.

Advertisement

What made this event even more gripping was Caitlyn’s tone throughout her updates. She wasn’t panicked. She was composed. Even as distant blasts echoed through the concrete walls, she smiled gently and whispered, “We have to believe peace will come.”

Celebrities like Gal Gadot, who served in the Israeli military, showed support and emphasized how civilians on both sides are the ones who suffer most. Public figures including politicians, diplomats, and human rights activists weighed in, turning Caitlyn’s clip into a symbol of global vulnerability.

Back in the U.S., late-night hosts and news commentators debated the moment. Was it a modern-day war diary? Was it tone-deaf privilege? Or was it simply human—a celebrity stripped of luxury, facing a fear no fame could shield her from?

Amid the criticism, one thing was clear: Caitlyn’s update gave millions a personal look into what it’s like to be stuck in the crossfire of geopolitical chaos. Her message was universal—war is real, and no one is truly safe.

Advertisement

She later thanked Israeli defense personnel for their swift actions and praised the people she was sheltered with for their kindness. “There was no panic. Just humanity,” she wrote in another post.

As things began to settle, Caitlyn was finally escorted to Ben Gurion Airport under tight security. She flew back to Los Angeles and appeared on major media outlets to discuss her harrowing experience.

During a heartfelt interview, she said, “This isn’t about politics. This is about people. The children I saw in shelters. The elderly woman holding my hand. The hope in the eyes of the hotel staff, despite the fear. It changes you.”

In a time when conflict often feels distant or abstract, Caitlyn Jenner’s first-hand account pierced through the noise. It reminded the world that bombs don’t differentiate between the famous and the forgotten.

Advertisement

Her final message from the airport lounge, before leaving Israeli soil, was simple: “I’ll carry these memories forever. Pray for the region. Pray for peace. We all deserve it.”

Despite her celebrity status, Caitlyn found herself reduced to the same level of vulnerability as everyone else in that shelter. The walls that separated the public from the private life of a global icon came crashing down, both literally and symbolically.

At one point during the shelter-in-place order, someone recognized her and gently approached, not for a selfie, but simply to ask, “Is this your first time in Israel?” Caitlyn smiled and nodded. The conversation turned from fame to fear, and from politics to prayer.

She later said it was one of the most authentic conversations she’d had in years—no red carpet, no cameras, just two people sharing a moment in crisis.

Advertisement

The emotional toll of the night would weigh on her. In her reflection shared the next day, Caitlyn wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “When you hear bombs falling and realize no amount of wealth can protect you from it—only faith, and the people beside you, matter.”

As missiles were intercepted above ground, the shelter saw shared snacks, whispered reassurances, and even quiet laughter. One Israeli teenager started playing soft music from their phone—Caitlyn remembered the melody was “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. It brought some in the room to tears.

The glass of wine she held was not about luxury—it became a symbol. “It was a reminder that life continues, even under threat. We hold on to small rituals to feel human,” she explained later.

Media coverage around the world exploded. Her moment, intended to show resilience, was misinterpreted by some as performative. However, defenders of Jenner pointed out that she never intended it to be a political statement—it was an unfiltered human response to a terrifying situation.

Advertisement

Israeli news networks featured her brief clips, and Hebrew-language newspapers highlighted her gratitude toward the IDF and the civilians she met. Some Israeli citizens thanked her for not fleeing immediately like many foreign visitors had.

Caitlyn’s perspective gave international audiences a glimpse into daily life in conflict zones—where war isn’t just explosions, but the long silences in between, filled with fear, hope, and quiet strength.

Her celebrity status amplified the story, but the emotions she captured resonated with anyone who has ever faced uncertainty. Parents hiding with their children. Travelers stuck abroad. Locals adjusting to fear as a way of life.

Back home, her updates sparked broader conversations about how the media portrays war—often through filtered lenses. But in Caitlyn’s case, it was raw, unpolished, and emotionally honest.

Advertisement

The experience transformed her. She later expressed that despite the horror, she felt deeply connected to those around her. “You learn more about yourself in a bomb shelter than at a luxury spa,” she quipped with characteristic humor.

She also pledged to raise awareness for organizations helping displaced families and war-affected children in both Israel and Gaza. “No child should hear what I heard that night. Or live in shelters like that for weeks,” she said.

Though she was safely home days later, the psychological aftershocks lingered. She admitted she now jumps at sudden loud noises and finds herself thinking about those who remain in conflict zones, day after day.

Her story drew attention not just because it involved a public figure, but because it transcended fame. It was a portrait of shared humanity in crisis.

Advertisement

Global news agencies continued to dissect the moment for days. Some called it “a turning point in how we perceive war.” Others debated whether the wine glass dulled the seriousness of the situation or emphasized the absurdity of war.

In her final Instagram post from that trip, she included a picture of the bunker wall—where someone had drawn a peace sign using lipstick. The caption read simply: “Hope never hides.”

As the media attention faded, Caitlyn returned to her advocacy work and television appearances. But she continued to speak in private events and podcasts about the need to support civilians in conflict zones—not just with policy, but with empathy.

She’s now reportedly working on a short documentary that will feature her footage and interviews with the people she met during the ordeal. Proceeds are expected to go to humanitarian aid.

Advertisement

From fame to fear, from red carpets to concrete shelters, Caitlyn Jenner’s experience in Israel reminded the world that war respects no boundaries—but neither does compassion.

  • Group Media Publication
  1. Construction, Infrastructure and Mining   
  2. General News Platforms – IHTLive.com
  3. Entertainment News Platforms – https://anyflix.in/

Continue Reading
Anyskill-ads

Facebook

Trending