Assam-Arunachal border dispute: Ministers hold crucial talks to resolve decades-old conflict

Dibrugarh: Cabinet ministers and high-ranking officials from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh assembled at the Charaideo district commissioner's office on Friday to resolve the decades-old border dispute between the two states.

The discussions addressed challenges faced by border villages in Assam's Charaideo district and Arunachal Pradesh's Longding district. Following the meeting, the delegation conducted a joint field visit to the Point 15 area along the Charaideo-Longding inter-district border to assess the ground situation in the disputed territories.

"In line with the visionary steps taken by the chief ministers of both states towards a permanent resolution of the Assam-Arunachal boundary issues, substantial progress has already been made, and the remaining work is steadily advancing," Assam's industries and commerce minister Bimal Borah said, emphasising on the political will behind the ongoing resolution process.

Expressing optimism, Arunachal Pradesh's agriculture minister Gabriel D Wangsu said that the discussions were productive. "Our continued efforts and substantial progress in our talks will lead to a lasting solution and secure regional development and security," he added.

Apart from Borah and Wangsu, the high-level delegation included cooperative and indigenous tribal faith minister Jogen Mohan, Sonari MLA Dharmeshwar Konwar and senior administrative officials, including Charaideo DC Neha Yadav, Charaideo SP Surjeet Singh Panesar, Longding DC Bekir Nyorak, as well as Longding SP Dekio Gumja.

The delegation is expected to submit a detailed report to the respective state govts, which will guide further action to resolve issues in specific disputed areas. The ministers of both states reiterated their commitment to follow the spirit of the Namsai Declaration, focusing on historical perspectives, ethnicity issues, contiguity factors, people's will, and administrative convenience in determining the final boundaries.

The meeting was part of a broader initiative following the historic Namsai Declaration, signed in July 2022 by Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Arunachal Pradesh counterpart Pema Khandu. The declaration set forth guidelines to resolve disputes in 86 villages along the 804-kilometre border between the two states. The boundary dispute between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh dates back to 1951 when the North-East Frontier Tract, later renamed Arunachal Pradesh, was administratively separated from Assam without clearly defined boundaries. The issue remained contentious even after Arunachal Pradesh achieved statehood in 1987.