Arunachal, Assam hold border talks, hopeful of resolving disputes

Guwahati, Dec. 22 (PTI): The third round of regional committee-level border talks between Arunachal Pradesh and Assam succeeded in resolving certain issues along the interstate boundary, ministers of the two states said.

Addressing a press meet on Wednesday, Assam Agriculture Minister Atul Bora and Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein said a “threadbare discussion was held in a cordial atmosphere” to find a solution to disputes involving three districts along the boundary.

Mein said the committee members had visited the disputed areas in Namsai and Lohit districts of Arunachal Pradesh and Tinsukia in Assam, and interacted with various stakeholders before attending the meetings.

“We have come to the conclusion that there are no longer any issues in these areas,” he said.

Bora said the committee will submit the report of the meeting to the chief ministers of both the states, and they in turn will hand it over to the Centre.

“People of both the states want to live in peace. It is usually some miscreants on either side of the border who create trouble.

“Our Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been taking initiatives to resolve border disputes with neighbouring states in the region, and much progress has been made thus far,” Bora said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are also keen on resolving the problems as they want the people of the Northeast to live in harmony, he maintained.

Mein also pointed out that the discussion on border disputes was pending for the last seven decades owing to a “lack of political will”.

“After the BJP came to power at the Centre, its leaders took initiatives to settle the inter-state border disputes once and for all,” he said.

The first round of regional-level talks was held at Namsai and the second at Dibrugarh.

The two states share an 804.1-km-long border. Arunachal Pradesh, which was made a Union territory in 1972, has alleged that several forested tracts in the plains that had traditionally belonged to its hill tribal chiefs and communities were unilaterally transferred to Assam.

After Arunachal Pradesh achieved statehood in 1987, a tripartite committee was appointed which recommended that certain territories be transferred from Assam to Arunachal.

Assam contested the recommendation and the matter is in the Supreme Court.