Itanagar: The State Governments of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam on Friday inked the ‘Namsai Declaration’ for resolving the vexed inter-state boundary dispute between the two North Eastern states which has been pending with the Supreme Court of India.
The ‘Namsai Declaration’ was signed by the Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, Pema Khandu and Himanta Biswa Sarma respectively during their third Chief Minister-level meeting on the decades-old contentious boundary issue – held for the first time in Arunachal Pradesh at Namsai today.
At the meeting, both the Chief Ministers were accompanied by their cabinet ministers, who are the chairmen of the Regional Committees constituted by both the states to study the current status of the boundary dispute in the border districts.
Taking to twitter, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote: “Immensely happy to announce signing of Namsai Declration at CM-level meeting between Assam & Arunachal Pradesh.”
He also said, “Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and guided by home Minister Amit Shah, we could achieve this landmark in resolving out long-pending border disputes.”
“Along with Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu, we have decided to restrict the ‘disputed villages’ to 86 instead of 123. Based on our present boundary, we’ll try to resolve the rest by 15 Sept 2022. This is a milestone in the history of our friendship & brotherhood,” Sarma tweeted after the meeting.
“The Chief Ministers of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh while addressing the Regional Committees of both sides on 15th July 2022 agreed in principle with regard to 37 villages which are within the constitutional boundary of Arunachal Pradesh shall remain with Arunachal Pradesh,” the declaration said.
Stating that disputes in 37 out of 123 villages had already been resolved and dispute lies in remaining 86 villages, Arunachal CM Pema Khandu said, “The Regional Committees, headed by cabinet ministers from both states, will undertake joint visit to those locations, will take people’s opinion, and basing on ground visit we will try to solve the dispute as per people’s wish.”
“We have also set a timeline that by 15th September, interim report be submitted to both the Governments. And after examining the report we will forward it to the Government of India,” he said.
“The Regional Committees will submit their first tranche of report on the above and any other areas where consensus has arrived, before September 15, 2022. As and when the Regional Committees conclude their deliberations and agreement is arrived at between the two Governments, the draft MoU will be referred to Government of India for its approval,” read the declaration.
It is worth-mentioning that the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during his recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh, had stated that the long-pending border row between Arunachal Pradesh and Assam will be resolved by 2023 once and for all.
“More than 60 percent boundary disputes between Assam and Meghalaya had been resolved as on date. We are optimistic that similar disputes between Arunachal Pradesh and Assam would be resolved by next year,” Shah had said while addressing a public function at RK Mission School, Narottam Nagar at Deomali in Arunachal’s Tirap district on May 21.
