Assam and Arunachal Pradesh sign MoU to resolve border dispute

Assam and Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding on disputed areas along the roughly 800 kilometre they share, resolving decades old border disputes.

The dispute between the two northeastern states pertained to 123 villages that stretch across 12 districts of Arunachal Pradesh and eight districts of Assam. Arunachal Pradesh had claimed these villages in 2007. The Supreme Court had then appointed a local commission to identify the boundary between the two states.

In July, 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 resolving the boundary row by forming 12 committees each headed by cabinet minister that would visit disputed areas, take feedback from residents and submit reports to their respective governments.

The suggestions made by these committees have been accepted by the two states in the MoU.

It has resolved the disputed claims of 71 villages out of which one from Arunachal Pradesh will be included in Assam. Ten villages will continue to be in Assam, and 60 villages from Assam will be included in Arunachal Pradesh.

Out of the remaining 52 villages, the boundaries of 49 of them will be finalised by the regional committees in the next six months, while three villages inside the Indian Air Force bombing range will require rehabilitation.

The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between both states took place in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Ministers Himanta Biswa Sarma and Pema Khandu.

Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju was also part of the event.

“We are witness to a historic moment today,” Shah said on Thursday. “The Local Commission report of 1972 remained disputed at various levels, sometimes at the level of the government, sometimes in the Supreme Court,” Shah said. “By accepting the report, the two states have ended the dispute over the 800 km of boundary. This is a huge achievement.”