Assam-Nagaland border row: Officials resolve to maintain restraint

Organisations imposing blockade on NH-702D didn’t ask for permission, says Jorhat DC

Our Correspondent
Jorhat, Nov. 25 (EMN): There was glimpse of hope for a peaceful resolution to the Assam-Nagaland border row on Wednesday as the district administrations of Mokokchung and Jorhat resolved to maintain restraint on the matter to pave way for peace and the economic blockade imposed on NH-702D by Assam-based organisations been temporarily lifted.

A deputy commissioner/ superintendent of police-level meeting dubbed as “peace talk” was held between the officials of Jorhat and Mokokchung in the Conference Hall, Circuit House in Jorhat, Assam on November 25.

The deputy commissioner of Jorhat, Roshni Aparanji Korati, assured after the closed-door meeting with her Dimapur counterpart that it would try to convince the organisations imposing the blockade to lift it and observe restraint.

Korati maintained that construction work is not allowed in the disputed area (flashpoint in Aosenden village jurisdiction) as per the Agreement of 1972. In this connection, she had asked her counterpart to remove the Nagaland police force at the epicentres of the stand-off between the two states so that they too could withdraw the Assam police forces from the flashpoint.

She said that the district administrations of Mokokchung and Jorhat have mutually resolved that ‘both sides will observe restraint so that peace and harmony is maintained in the border area’.

The DC further informed that they have resolved to place the points raised by both the parties before their respective higher-ups and to convey the subsequent decisions with each other.

The deputy commissioner of Mokokchung, Limawabang Jamir, also informed that both sides have agreed to have further deliberation on a regular basis so that ‘such incident does not occur in the future’.

He also expressed hope that this crisis will be resolved at the earliest as both the governments of Nagaland and Assam are seriously working to resolve the row and appealed to both the citizens of Mokokchung and Jorhat districts to exercise maximum restraint.

Blockade lifted for 36 hours

It was reported that the economic blockade imposed by Assam-based organisations against Nagaland on NH-702D was lifted for 36 hours on Wednesday as a goodwill gesture.

When asked if the enforcers of the blockade on the national highway had taken prior permission from the Jorhat district administration, the DC replied: “They (organisations) have not asked for permission for the blockade.”

“There is no permission from the district administration Jorhat regarding the blockade; even if they asked we won’t give permission for the blockade,” said Korati.

When asked, why no action was initiated against the defaulters, she replied: ‘They definitely did not ask for permission but to resolve any issue we have to go through dialogue first; we are basically trying to convince them and the process is ongoing.’