Assam-Arunachal Pradesh end border dispute: All you need to know
Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, which was earlier a part of undivided Assam, share an 804 km long boundary.
Assam and Arunachal Pradesh chief ministers came together on Thursday to sign an agreement to settle the decades-old inter-state boundary dispute between the two states. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Prema Khandu signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in presence of home minister Amit Shah.
“The signing of an agreement for the settlement of an inter-state boundary dispute between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh is a very big achievement. Today, we have crossed the milestone for the establishment of a developed, peaceful and conflict-free northeast,” the home minister told news agency ANI.
Speaking to reporters, Shah further said, “We are a part of a historic moment in Indian history. Since 1972, this border dispute hasn’t been solved. The local commission’s report was continually considered contentious by different governments and courts. That report has been accepted by both the state governments and the 800-km long border issue has been ended by them today.”
What was the dispute about?
Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, which was earlier a part of undivided Assam, share an 804 km long boundary. While there were no tensions reported initially, frequent issues eventually came up.
People have alleged that residents of one state go to the other side and encroach on the land. This did not just lead to disputes but also violence. A lawsuit on the issue has been pending in the Supreme Court since 1989.
During British rule, there was a law which involved setting boundaries between plains and hills. This was later known as North East Frontier Tracts (NEFT). However, after independence, the Assam government was in control of the NEFT. This, in 1954, became the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) and in 1972 became Arunachal Pradesh. It is essential to note that Arunachal Pradesh was a Union Territory in 1972 and gained statehood only in 1987.
However, a 1951 report claimed that over 3,000 sq km of the area from Arunachal Pradesh had been transferred to Assam. While Arunachal Pradesh has constantly held that this area was transferred without the consent of its people, Assam has maintained that the transfer was legally carried out.
Did other governments try to solve the issue?
Several efforts have been made to solve the issue over the years.
After Arunachal Pradesh became a Union Territory, a tripartite committee was set up to sort the issue and decided to hold discussions with both sides.
However, over the years, the issue always came to a halt because neither side agreed on the same conditions in terms of the boundary and demarcation. Neither of the states could come to a consensus.
Eventually, in 1989, Assam filed a case in the Supreme Court stating “encroachment” by Arunachal Pradesh.
What led to signing of the MoU?
In 2021, following the insistence of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Shah, both states resolved to settle their border dispute out of court through talks, people familiar with the matter said.
In July last year, both states signed the Namsai Declaration, where 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, that visit disputed areas, take feedback from residents and submit reports to their respective governments, they added.
Twelve Regional Committees had been formed in Assam to solve the dispute, Assam cabinet approved their recommendations on Wednesday.
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