Resolving inter-state boundary disputes: Himanta Biswa Sarma & Pema Khandu set the ball rolling

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Assam and Arunachal Pradesh governments adopted the Assam-Meghalaya model today to resolve inter-state boundary disputes between the two states.

A chief minister-level meeting between the two states here took several decisions to take measures to resolve the boundary disputes between them. Besides Chief Ministers Himanta Biswa Sarma and Pema Khandu, several ministers and the two chief secretaries of both the states were present at the meeting. Today's meeting discussed land disputes in 123 border villages. The meeting also decided the two states to form 12 regional committees each.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "I had a threadbare discussion with my Arunachal Pradesh counterpart Pema Khandu to resolve the boundary disputes. We decided to form district-level committees to resolve the boundary issues in a time-bound manner. The committees will conduct joint surveys in the disputed areas to find tangible solutions."

In August 2021, Chief Minister Sarma informed the State Assembly that Assam and Arunachal Pradesh had boundary disputes in 1,200 points against 12 points between Assam and Meghalaya.

Khandu said, "I had a fruitful meeting with the Assam Chief Minister to resolve the long-pending inter-state boundary issues. We decided to form mutual district committees and agreed on terms and references.

"The positive enthusiasm for resolutions of boundary disputes on both sides is very encouraging. Grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for their guidance, and Assam Chief Minister Sarma for his proactive and positive leadership from the Assam side."

Assam Accord Implementation Minister Atul Bora, who also attended the meeting, said, "We had an initial discussion on disputes in 123 border villages. Each of the two states will form 12 committees within a week. The committees will conduct joint surveys based on historical perspectives, ethnicity, contiguity, people's will and administrative convenience of both the states.

"To establish the geographical locations of all the areas claimed by Arunachal Pradesh before the Local Commission in 2007 and their contiguity with the Survey of India boundary delineated in 1980 is one of the terms of the joint survey.

"The joint committees will visit each of the villages and interact with the communities living in the villages, including the elected representatives and learn about the perception of the people living in the area. The committees will prepare an 'as is' public asset register in the villages, created by both the state governments."

Bora further said, "Villages along the Arunachal Pradesh boundary in Udalguri, Sonitpur, Biswanath, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Charaideo districts will have joint surveys."

Assam and Arunachal Pradesh share an 804-km boundary. Arunachal Pradesh got statehood in 1987. The first boundary clash between the two states erupted in 1992 when Arunachal Pradesh alleged that people from Assam stopped the construction of markets, buildings etc., in the boundary areas.

Before the curving out of Arunachal Pradesh from Assam, a sub-committee headed by the then Assam Chief Minister Gopinath Bordoloi had made some recommendations concerning the administration of NEFA (North-East Frontier Area) and submitted the report in 1951. Based on the report, around 3,684 sq km from the plain areas of Balipara and Sadia foothill was transferred to Assam's Darrang and Lakhimpur districts. Attaining the statehood, Arunachal Pradesh refused to accept that area transfer saying that the decision did not have the consent of the local populace.

In 1989, the Assam Government filed a case in this regard in the Supreme Court, highlighting the encroachment by Arunachal Pradesh. It sought the apex court's intervention in demarcating the boundary between the two states.

The Supreme Court then appointed a local boundary commission in 2006 headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to resolve the boundary disputes. The commission submitted its report with several recommendations and suggestions in September 2014 for the two states to arrive at a consensus through discussions. However, nothing came of it. Boundary skirmishes followed by district-level and chief secretary-level meetings occur without fruitful solutions.

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