Labouring for Connectivity in Arunachal Pradesh

In this photo essay, we examine the laborious circulation of bodies necessary for the development of infrastructure in Northeast India. The province of Arunachal Pradesh has been a site of territorial contestation between India and China. Recent years have seen a conscious effort by New Delhi to establish its presence in this frontier province, building roads and hydropower dams, and supplementing military infrastructure to protect its borders. Road development in Arunachal Pradesh materialises the Indian state’s claim to this territory, with connectivity improvements cementing its ties to the national body of India. This is predicated on the movement of labouring bodies to the periphery, who are put to work building the nation at its edges.