Itanagar, July 16: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have stressed that the inter-state boundary issue between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh be resolved amicably and suggested an out-of-court solution.
This was shared by Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Pema Khandu during the virtual meeting conducted by the newly appointed Union DoNER Minister, G. Kishan Reddy with Chief Ministers of all the eight North Eastern States on Thursday.
Khandu added that Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have in principle agreed to sort out the inter-state boundary issue out-of-court for which the state government has already started its homework.
An official of Arunachal Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) quoted Khandu as saying, “Inter-state boundary issue has been long pending. I have discussed it with my Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma and we have agreed to go for an out-of-court solution to all issues related to our boundary.”
“In fact, we have already started working on the ground. If everything goes well, in the next few months we may see some concrete results towards instilling peace permanently along our boundaries,” the Chief Minister said, according to the CMO official.
Unrest on Assam – Mizoram border
Earlier this week, Mizoram Home Minister, Lalchamliana said that the crops of Mizo farmers had been destroyed at Buarchep (in Kolasib district) by Assam police last week and demanded adequate compensation by the Assam government.
Lalchamliana said that additional Mizoram police forces have been deployed to the affected areas to quell the public fear and ensure a sense of normalcy.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in order to free the encroached land from Mizo encroachers and for protection of land and citizens of Assam residing in Assam-Mizoram border, all types of preventive measures including patrolling, area dominations have been taken up.
Sarma told in the ongoing session of the state Assembly that 1,777 hectares of land in three districts of southern Assam — Cahcar, Karimganj and Hailakandi — had been encroached by Mizos.
The Chief Minister said that last week, a Chief Secretary level meeting was held between Assam and Mizoram in New Delhi at the behest of the Union Home Ministry.
“All lawful steps are being takes to prevent encroachment in the Assam-Mizoram interstate Border,” Sarma told the house.
Central paramilitary forces are maintaining security on both sides of the inter-state borders since the border troubles began in October last year.
According to Assam police, since October last year, several inter-state border skirmishes have taken place along the 164.6-km Assam-Mizoram border and over 50 people have been injured along with one casualty. A government school was also severely damaged by grenade blasts and more than 25 houses and shops had been set on fire on the Assam side.
Interstate border issues in North East
Inter-state boundary disputes between Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Meghalaya,
Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh during the past several years have witnessed many violent activities and skirmishes among the security forces and the people living along the boundaries of these states.
Encroachment in border areas, and various unlawful activities, including attacks and abductions, infrequently take place along the inter-state borders of the North Eastern states leading to major incidents occasionally.
The Central paramilitary forces have been deployed in some of the inter-state borders to prevent the further escalation of the violence.
Assam shares borders with six other North Eastern states – Nagaland (512.1 km), Arunachal Pradesh (804.1 km), Manipur (204.1 km), Mizoram (164.6 km), Tripura (46.3 km) and Meghalaya (884.9 km).
