Assam and Arunachal Pradesh Form Joint Committee to Address Boundary Dispute

Joint Efforts to Resolve Territorial Disputes

Guwahati, Nov 2: In a significant move, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have agreed to establish a joint committee aimed at evaluating disputed border areas, marking a renewed commitment to resolving their long-standing territorial conflicts through dialogue and local engagement.

This decision emerged from a meeting held at the District Commissioner’s Office in Roing, located in Arunachal Pradesh’s Dibang Valley district. The meeting was attended by Assam's Border Protection and Development Minister Atul Bora and Arunachal Pradesh Minister Ojing Tasing, who leads the regional committee.

Following the meeting, Bora informed the media that officials from both states would interact with local stakeholders in the disputed regions to gather their concerns before further discussions take place.

“We have resolved that officials from both Assam and Arunachal Pradesh will engage with local stakeholders on-site to comprehend the issues for further dialogue. Subsequent discussions and meetings among regional committee members will follow,” he stated.

The newly proposed joint committee is set to conduct field visits to evaluate conditions in the contested areas.

Both states have concurred that no conclusive decisions will be made without a thorough assessment of the ground realities, ensuring that the perspectives of local residents and the committee's findings are taken into account before any resolution is finalized.

“Rather than making executive decisions, we are striving to understand and resolve the issue at the grassroots level. The opinions of border residents must be prioritized,” Bora emphasized.

Tasing acknowledged the prolonged nature of the dispute and expressed optimism that this latest initiative would yield positive results.

“Today’s meeting concluded with a mutual desire from both Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to amicably resolve the boundary dispute with local involvement. We will establish a joint committee consisting of MLAs, officials, and local stakeholders, who will visit the disputed areas and compile a fact-finding report to advance the matter,” he remarked.

Bora noted that previous efforts under the Namsai Declaration had successfully addressed seven out of eight disputed areas along the Assam-Arunachal boundary in Tinsukia district, leaving one area unresolved.

The Namsai Declaration, which was signed by the chief ministers of both states in July 2022, reduced the number of disputed villages from 123 to 86.

This agreement also led to the establishment of regional committees tasked with facilitating resolutions through local consultations.

The recent meeting is part of ongoing efforts by both state governments to settle their enduring boundary disputes through dialogue, mutual understanding, and cooperation.

Earlier in October, during a separate round of regional committee discussions, both states set a two-month timeline to resolve outstanding boundary issues concerning Papum Pare in Arunachal Pradesh and Biswanath and Lakhimpur in Assam.

Alternative land arrangements were also discussed for cases where disputes involving settlements and privately owned land posed challenges to resolution.