Assam and Arunachal CMs to hold third meeting on border dispute today; Khandu appears optimistic

• Image Credit: Internet

• Jul 15, 2022 | Poonam Nath

The state governments agreed at the last meeting to form district-level committees led by cabinet ministers to resolve the decades-old boundary dispute.

Digital Desk: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu met on Friday to discuss outstanding issues in the border dispute between their respective states.

The meeting in Namsai, Arunachal, will be the third such conversation between the two states. The state governments agreed at the last meeting to form district-level committees led by cabinet ministers to resolve the decades-old boundary dispute.

Arunachal Pradesh, formed from Assam, was originally a Union territory. In 1987, it became a full-fledged state. The two countries share an 804.1-kilometre border.

The boundary dispute that arose during the reorganization of the Northeastern states is now before the Supreme Court. The meeting's outcome is critical for 123 villages along the Assam-Arunachal border.

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said both states have agreed to settle the dispute out of court. "For more than seven decades, the vexing issue of the Arunachal-Assam border has lingered, and the matter is currently before the Honourable Supreme Court." But now, with the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Home Minister Amit Shah, Himanta dada and I have agreed to settle this matter through dialogue and out of court."

"I am pleased to inform you that on July 15, both the CMs, Chief Secretaries, and chairpersons in charge of both committees will meet in Namsai to discuss the matter." I am confident that we will achieve positive results due to our discussions. "I must express my heartfelt gratitude to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Ji for his proactive and upbeat role in the entire process," Khandu said.

Assam Minister Piyush Hazarika expressed optimism about the meeting as well.

"This will be a historic meeting between the two states to resolve decades-long issues under the strong guidance of the PM and Home Minister," Piyush told a national news agency. I hope the dispute between the two neighbouring states is resolved quickly, as it was between Assam and Meghalaya a few months ago."

In March, Assam and Meghalaya agreed to end their five-decade-long border dispute, which had frequently heightened tensions between the two states. The agreement settled the long-running conflict in six of the twelve locations along the two states' 884.9-kilometre border.