Arunachal: A Sweet Connection With Nepalis

“Number one, we look like Nepalis. We are with Nepalis at home and in the jungles, and there are many Nepalis in Arunachal Pradesh,” says Tokbom Borang, owner of the NEFA Orange farm in Dambuk, Arunachal Pradesh. Borang stated that the Arunachalis trust Nepalis because they don’t lie. “Maybe out of 100, one or two drink or do otherwise, but 80 per cent of the Nepalis are very trustworthy. Indian citizens here and are very much respected, so I like Nepalis very much,” he continued. Then, to my surprise, he started singing an old but popular Nepali song, ‘Kanchi re Kanchi’. Borang told me that he enjoyed watching movies featuring Manisha Koirala and conversed a bit with me in workable Nepali. I met Borang at his orange orchid during my trip when I was invited to participate in the Orange Festival of Music and Adventure (OFAM) at Dambuk in the Dibang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh during December 14–18, 2023. There, I was pleasantly surprised to meet several Arunachalis who like Nepal and Nepalis a lot.