The Modi government is constantly trying to maintain peace and bring prosperity in the Northeast. For this, all the projects of development are being run in the Northeast, as well as decades -old border disputes are also being abolished by mutual consent so that the spirit of brotherhood can increase and the resolve of developed India is fulfilled by coordinated efforts. In this episode, ministers of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh participated in an important meeting, which aims to resolve the 74 -year -old border dispute between the two states. This meeting is considered to be another concrete step towards resolving the administrative disputes between the two states for decades.
Let us tell you that the fifth meeting of Representative Regional Committees of Dhemaji district of Assam and Lower Siang and East Siang districts of Arunachal Pradesh was held at the Indian Institute of Agricultural Research in Gogamukh. The meeting was jointly chaired by Assam Minister Jayant Malla Barua and Arunachal Minister Kanto Jini. During this time, both sides discussed 13 unresolved border disputes and agreed to prepare the outline to resolve them in a timely manner. After the meeting, Assam Minister Jayant Malla Barua said, “Consent has been reached and we are moving towards a cordial solution.” At the same time, Arunachal Pradesh minister Kanto Jini said, “The conversation was worthwhile. We are confident that under the visionary leadership of the two Chief Ministers, we will reach a permanent solution in the next two months.”
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Let us tell you that this meeting is the result of the historic ‘Namasai Declaration’ held in July 2022, which was signed by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Arunachal Chief Minister Pema Khandu. In this manifesto, the outline was set to resolve the ongoing disputes on the 804 km long boundary related to 86 villages. Let us remind you that in April 2023, the governments of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh signed an agreement before the Union Home Minister Amit Shah to end the old border dispute between the two states. In fact, out of the 123 villages claimed by Arunachal Pradesh in 2007, 71, a cordial solution came out in 2023. These 71 villages included resolutions of 27 villages who came out during the signature on ‘Namsai Manifesto’ on 15 July 2022 and 34 villages who came out under the agreement of 2023. Out of these 71 villages in Arunachal Pradesh were included in Assam, 10 villages remained in Assam and 60 villages from Assam to Arunachal Pradesh. Out of the remaining 52 villages, 49 villages were said to be decided by the regional committees. Let us also tell you that during the tenure of the Modi government, the decades -old border disputes of many states in the Northeast have been resolved. The old dispute with Meghalaya of Assam has also been resolved.
Talking about the history of border disputes between the two states, let us tell you that the roots of the Assam-Arunachal border dispute are in 1951, when the North-East Frontier Tractor (NEFT) was administratively separated from Assam and named Arunachal Pradesh, but the dead boundaries were not clearly defined. In 1987, Arunachal remained in a dispute even after getting full state status, causing tension and administrative instability in the border areas.
Let us also tell you that both the states have adopted collaborative models which is a major change because earlier where the border disputes were surrounded by conflict and political rhetoric, now efforts are being made to solve through joint committees, shared leadership and equal representation. It is being told that in the next phase of the meeting, the demarcation of the disputed areas and the practical system of the joint administration will be focused. If the process is successful, it will lead one of the oldest border disputes of Northeast India to a permanent solution.
However, the ongoing conversation between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh is not only important for regional stability, but it also presents an ideal model to resolve other inter-state border disputes of India. Of course, this path of harmony, dialogue and shared leadership will also strengthen the spirit of brotherhood and unity.