A CORRESPONDENT
LAKHIMPUR: Fresh encroachment upon Assam’s land in Lakhimpur district by aggressors from Arunachal Pradesh continues at an alarming rate. Even the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), inked by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Arunachal Pradesh counterpart Pema Khandu to resolve all boundary issues between the two States, in New Delhi on April 20 in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, cannot resist the aggressive attitude of the people from Arunachal Pradesh with regard to encroaching Assam’s land.
Notably, the MoU said, “Both the State Governments agree that this MoU shall be the full and final agreement in respect of the aforesaid 123 claimed villages... Both the state governments agree that no new claim area and village shall be added in the future beyond the already claimed 123 villages. Also, both governments agree to effectively prevent any new encroachment in the border areas.” With the MoU, it was expected that the MoU had put an end to the five-decade-long boundary disputes between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
Despite such enthusiasm and expectation centering round the MoU, Arunachal Pradesh, of late, set up a police outpost encroaching upon Assam’s land belonging to Kakoi Reserve Forest under the Lakhimpur district. The police outpost was set up at Rajgarh Bengali village of Assam, wherein Ujjalpur Gaon Panchayat of Lakhimpur district implemented a Block Plantation Project in 2020-21. In this way, the aggressors of Arunachal Pradesh have come into Assam by several kilometres from the status quo after encroaching upon a large area of the State. Simultaneously, fresh encroachment, alleged firing incidents by Arunachali aggressors continued in the Ranga Reserve Forest too, under Naoboicha Revenue Circle even after the inking of the MoU.
Opposing the old and fresh encroachment upon Assam’s land in Lakhimpur district by Arunachal Pradesh, the Lakhimpur district unit of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Parishad (AJYCP) initiated a two-day-long protest programme from Saturday. In this connection, the activists of the organization, with support from other organizations and local people, staged sit-in at Kakoi Rajgarh Bengali village.
The stir was organized in association with North Lakhimpur and Kakoi-Rajgarh regional units of the organization. Leading the stir, AJYCP Lakhimpur district general secretary Diganta Bhuyan said that Arunachal Pradesh must stop encroachment upon Assam’s land respecting the MoUs inked between the two States till that. In this connection, the organization has demanded Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Lakhimpur district administration and Lakhimpur MLA Manab Dekato take immediate and effective steps.
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