News Highlights
Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have formed 12 regional committees to expedite the process of identification and early resolution of disputed areas along their boundary.
Key Takeaways
- The two states had disputes in 123 villages along the border.
- The committees will conduct joint visits to the disputed sites and make their recommendations to the respective governments.
- The committees will submit their reports to the respective chief ministers.
Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border dispute
- Assam shares an 804.10 km inter-state boundary with Arunachal Pradesh.
- The state of Arunachal Pradesh, created in 1987, claims some land that traditionally belonged to its residents has been given to Assam.
- A tripartite committee had recommended that certain territories be transferred from Assam to Arunachal.
- The two states have since been battling it out in court over the issue.
What is the genesis of the dispute?
- Arunachal Pradesh and Assam have disputed at about 1,200 points along their 804 km boundary.
- The disputes cropped up in the 1970s and intensified in the 1990s, with frequent flare-ups along the border.
- However, the issue dates back to 1873 when the British government introduced the inner-line regulation, vaguely separating the plains from the frontier hills that were later designated as the North-East Frontier Tracts in 1915.
- This area became the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) in 1954, three years after a notification based on the 1951 report saw 3,648 sq. km of the “plain” area of Balipara and Sadiya foothills being transferred to the Darrang and Lakhimpur districts of Assam.
- Arunachal Pradesh has been celebrating its statehood on a grand scale with an eye on China since 1987, but what has been causing resentment is the inability of the people living in the transferred patches to join in the celebration.
- Leaders in Arunachal Pradesh claim the transfer was done arbitrarily without consulting their tribes, who had customary rights over these lands.
Why do inter-state border disputes remain unresolved?
- Geographical Complexity:
- Due to the geographical complexity, such as rivers, hills, and forests, straddling two states in many places and borders cannot be physically marked.
- Indigenous Communities:
- Indigenous communities were, for the most part, left alone.
- Boundaries would be drawn for administrative convenience when the “need” arose.
- The Linguistic Idea of Reorganisation:
- Although the States Reorganization Commission, 1956, was based on administrative convenience, the states reorganised largely resembled the idea of one language, one state.
Way forward:
- Solve the issues amicably:
- Boundary disputes between the states can be settled amicably by using regional councils, such as the North Eastern Council and NITI Aayog.
- Setting up of regional committees:
- The regional committee should include members from the union government, state government and members represented by the indigenous people.
- The Need for an Interstate Boundary Commission:
- Considering the contesting claims of both the parties and the complexity of the issue, the foremost priority in working out a solution should be the institution of an independent Interstate boundary commission.
- Use new-age technologies.
- Boundary disputes between the states can be settled by using satellite mapping and drones to get the actual border locations.
Pic Courtesy: The New India Express
Content Source: The Hindu