The Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu on December 21 met the Union Minister of Home Affairs & Cooperation, Amit Shah at New Delhi, to discuss the long-pending border row between the two northeastern states.
After this meet, the Assam CM Sarma told media-persons that “Union home minister met me and CM Arunachal Pradesh primarily on issue of border realignment and alignment between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.”
Referring the discussing as “fruitful”, Sarma further added that next round of discussions between the two states will take place on January 2022.
Recently, a team of Assam forest officials were shot-at by unidentified miscreants who were involved in smuggling of illegal timber. According to officials, the smugglers were involved with illegal felling of trees in a reserve forest on the Assam-Arunachal interstate border.
Also read: Assam-Arunachal Pradesh Agree For Peaceful Settlement Of Border Row
The security forces along with forest officials swung into action, and a joint investigation was rapidly launched by both Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
However, the Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu recently while stating about the ongoing border row, mentioned that deployment of forces won’t act as a solution to the Assam-Arunachal boundary dispute. He advocated that government level negotiation is the only way out to resolve the long standing vexed boundary issue.
Its worthy to note that Assam shares an 804 kilometre-long boundary with Arunachal Pradesh. Although there was no such disputes initially, but over the years allegations of residents of one state encroaching land on the other have led to disputes, and escalation of violence.