Assam, Arunachal sign pact to resolve decades-old border disputes

Assam and Arunachal Pradesh governments on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi in order to end five-decades-long disputes on the 800-km long boundary between the two states.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Arunachal Pradesh counterpart Pema Khandu signed the MoU in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The pact seeks to end the dispute over 123 villages involving 12 Arunachal Pradesh districts and eight Assam districts.

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“The disputes between the two states have remained a concern since 1972 and the pact signed today has put an end to it. The disputes continued for years and sometimes reached courts. But the two state governments formed regional committees, consulted with the villagers in the disputed areas and other stakeholders to reach an understanding to end the disputes. This will set a milestone in ensuring more peace and development not only in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh but in the entire Northeast,” Shah said.

Both Sarma and Khandu termed the MoU as historic and a harbinger of peace and development.

In July last year, both the states signed the Namsai Declaration in which it was agreed to bring down the number of disputed villages from 123 to 86 and resolve the boundary row by forming 12 committees, each headed by a Cabinet minister.

The committee members visited the disputed areas, took feedback from residents and submitted reports to their respective governments for approval. The two state governments approved the reports.

Shah said the Narendra Modi government made significant achievements since 2014 in its goal of ending violence in the Northeast.

Border conflicts

Assam still has border disputes with Mizoram, Nagaland and Meghalaya for more than 50 years. The process to end the border disputes gained a push after six Assam policemen were gunned down by their Mizoram counterparts in July 2021 on the inter-state border with Mizoram.

In March last year, Assam and Meghalaya signed an agreement to end disputes in six out of 12 areas of disputes. But the process in the remaining six hit a roadblock in November when six residents of Meghalaya were shot dead by Assam's police and forest personnel.