Arunachal CM meets regional committees on border dispute with Assam

GUWAHATI: Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu, met and reviewed the present border dispute with Assam. The review included the work of six regional committees aimed at settling the long-existing border disputes that had been in existence for so many years.

These committees were set to hasten the identification and resolution of disputed areas along the 804.1-kilometer boundary between states.

This is in view of the Namsai Declaration that was signed on July 15, 2022, where both Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam agreed to settle the long-pending and longstanding border dispute.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu signed the Namsai Declaration.

This agreement aimed to reduce the contested villages from 123 to 86. According to officials, the regional panels in solving border disputes cover six districts; namely Pakke Kessang, Papum Pare, Kamle, Lower Siang, Lower Dibang Valley and Longding.

Taking to X, CM Khandu wrote, “This 70-year-old boundary issue has persisted for too long, and we are committed to resolving it once and for all. I have directed the regional committees to work closely with their Assam counterparts. If we can achieve consensus on the ground, we can pave the way for lasting peace between the people of both states.”

He further added, “This is a golden opportunity for us to end this long-standing dispute. Without resolution, true peace will remain elusive.”

The state of Arunachal Pradesh, which was declared a Union Territory in 1972, claims that the many forested regions in the plains were the original property of local hill tribal chiefs and communities, but these were "unilaterally" assigned to Assam in the past.

When Arunachal Pradesh was constituted a state in 1987, a tripartite committee was formed to assess the entire scenario and recommended that some tracts be taken from Assam; Assam opposed it and there followed a long-drawn legal fight in the Supreme Court.

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