Northeast Border Row: Bordering on A solution

 

During the Assam-Mizoram border row that erupted in July, 2021 leading to the death of six Assam Police personnel, tensions were already brewing at the Assam-Meghalaya border in the Umlafar area of Assam’s West Karbi Anglong district. Wasting no time, it was initially on August 6, 2021, within just a few months after the coming to power that Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, along with his Meghalaya counterpart, Conrad Sangma, took the initiative and decided to start settling the “less complicated” areas of the dispute first along the 884.9 km border. Both Dr. Sarma and Conrad Sangma started working towards resolving the issue in each of their respective States, in different phases.

In the first phase, six disputed areas were identified and joint visits were carried out to these places by teams comprising Ministers from both the States. Both the States reached an agreement with regard to the six disputed areas after which they submitted a report to the Union Home Ministry. It seems that the solution is rather clear-cut. 

According to the proposed recommendations, Assam will retain for itself 18.51 sq. km and give the remaining 18.28 sq. km to Meghalaya. It was on January 29th , 2022, that Conrad Sangma and Himanta Biswa Sarma had finalised the border agreement, at their level, on the first six areas of difference.

Boundary Disputes Mired In Controversy 

Assam’s border with almost all the other hill States of the North East has always remained a matter of controversy. Whereas some go back to the time of Independence, others go even further. There are boundary disputes arising out of the demarcation of boundaries and claims and counter-claims over territories between Assam-Meghalaya, Assam-Nagaland, Assam-Arunachal Pradesh, and Assam-Mizoram. The approach of the Central Government has consistently been that inter-State disputes can be resolved only with the cooperation of the concerned State Governments, with the Central Government acting as a facilitator for ensuring an amicable settlement of the dispute in a spirit of mutual understanding.

Bone of Contention 

Historically speaking, the problem between Assam and Meghalaya began soon after the creation of Meghalaya when Meghalaya challenged the Assam Reorganisation Act of 1971. Meghalaya bases its case on the Survey Maps of 1872 and 1929 and certain notifications of 1878 and 1951, while Assam wants to go by the recommendations of the Justice Churachand Committee which, in turn, has been rejected by Meghalaya. The district of Langpih in West Garo hills, bordering the Kamrup district of Assam, is a major point of contention between the two States. Langpih was a part of the Kamrup district during the British colonial period. But, after Independence, it became a part of the Garo Hills district of Meghalaya.

There are 36 disputed villages in these six locations along the border. Both Assam and Meghalaya Governments have agreed, in principle, for the exchange and administrative control of these villages under a give-and-take policy. These six areas of dispute out of a total of 12 between the Assam and Meghalaya Governments are considered to be less contentious. However, the other six areas, particularly in Blocks I and II, are a lot more complex in terms of an easy resolution

Assam considers Langpih to be a part of the Mikir Hills or present-day Karbi Anglong district, whereas Meghalaya has raised its contention over Deshdemoreah (Blocks I and II) of the Mikir Hills. Meghalaya contends that both these blocks were formed as part of the erstwhile United Khasi and Jaintia Hills district when it was notified in 1835. At present, there are 12 points of dispute (viz. Hahim, Langpih, Borduar, Baklapara, Nongwah, Matamur, Khanapara-Pilangkata, Upper Tarabari, Gijang Reserve Forest, Deshdemoreah-Block I and Block II, Khanduli, and Retacherra) along the 885-km Assam-Meghalaya border.

Win-Win situation for both

As of today, the boundary dispute between Meghalaya and Assam is inching towards a resolution in the six “less complicated” locations of Tarabari, Hahim, Pilangkata, Khanapara, Retacherra, and Gijang. There are 36 disputed villages in these six locations along the border. Both Assam and Meghalaya Governments have agreed, in principle, for the exchange and administrative control of these villages under a give-and-take policy. These six areas of dispute out of a total of 12 between the Assam and Meghalaya Governments are considered to be less contentious. However, the other six areas, particularly in Blocks I and II, are a lot more complex in terms of an easy resolution.

The Survey of India has been asked by the Central Government to coordinate and conduct a joint inspection and survey with the Governments of both the States. This will ensure that a proper inter-State boundary can be demarcated in due course of time. As the years pass by, border problems become difficult to solve, partly because of inefficiency on the part of local officials and partly due to a section of the public’s deliberate intention to create tension. It is the responsibility of the State Governments and the district administration to ensure peaceful negotiations and formal talks if there arise any disputes regarding unresolved boundary issues.

But, at the same time, it is also very important to understand here that the State Governments cannot finalise the inter-State boundaries on their own. It needs to be done by Parliament and that is why the role of the Union Home Ministry becomes important. Border issues are sensitive; therefore they need to be handled with utmost care by the Governments at both the Centre and the States. Several Cabinet Ministers from Meghalaya have repeatedly told the media that the issue is close to being resolved, and Assam Ministers too, have so far reiterated the same. It is also significant that both the Assam and the Meghalaya Cabinets have approved the recommendations very recently.

Surveys are still being carried out by different agencies for proper demarcation of the boundary between Assam and Meghalaya. The Governments at both the Centre and the States must tread with caution, because any unwanted provocation from either side has all the potentials of disturbing the hard-earned efforts at peace. In fact, it was just a few days back that local residents of Tapat village in West Karbi Anglong district of Assam bordering Meghalaya, had alleged that a mob of around one thousand inhabitants of Meghalaya marched around 3 kilometres into Assam’s territory with an attempt to encroach a vast tract of land near the village. The villagers feared that the Meghalaya residents would stake claim over the encroached land which might lead to another fresh round of confrontations between the two States.

In order to take stock of the situation, the Chairman of the Minority Welfare Board, along with the police-in-charge of Langhemphi area and the village headman of Tapat visited the place, where intruders seemed to assert their claim over the land by placing huge rocks and boulders. This latest development has emerged all of a sudden, and it is now the equal responsibility of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) along with both the Central and the State Governments to take the matter seriously and secure the border area. Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma has met representatives of political parties and students’ bodies in separate sittings and informed them about the decisions taken by the Governments of both Assam and Meghalaya.

It is also very important to understand here that the State Governments cannot finalise the inter-State boundaries on their own. It needs to be done by the Parliament and that is why the role of the Union Home Ministry becomes important. Border issues are sensitive; therefore they need to be handled with utmost care by the Governments at both the Centre and the States

On the other hand, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma also had an extensive discussion with all the stakeholders including political parties. He has expressed hope that everyone would support the move for a permanent settlement of the disputes in the larger interest of both the States and their people. With Assam and Meghalaya seemingly moving in the right direction and coming closer towards a permanent settlement of the disputes, it is a positive sign that Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has also advocated the need for talks and negotiations to settle the long-pending border disputes with Assam. There is also every possibility that the Government of Arunachal Pradesh would soon come forward to settle the disputes through negotiations.

While attending a programme to mark the 36th Statehood Day of Arunachal Pradesh at a place called Yupia, around 21 km from Itanagar, CM Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also convenor of the BJP-led North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), had announced that Assam and Arunachal Pradesh will engage in “serious dialogue” to amicably resolve the long-pending border disputes between the two States and find a permanent solution. The CMs of both the States have already held a few meetings wherein they decided to conduct ground-level surveys along the inter-state border and thus take the boundary settlement process forward. Himanta Biswa Sarma has reiterated several times in the past that solving boundary issues of Assam with the neighbouring hill States of the North-East is one of the topmost priorities of his Government.

However, the major problem remains with that of Mizoram. It is not very easy for Assam to come to a settlement with Mizoram with respect to the border issue, mainly because of the fact that Mizoram requires a significant chunk of cultivable land in the plains. However, efforts to settle the dispute must continue in right earnestness. Trying to find a long-lasting solution to age-old disputes, especially border issues, is a tough job. All the State Governments have their own political compulsions, which cannot be sidelined. Although the settlement might not be 100 per cent perfect, one can at least hope that with the right political will, the States would be able to arrive at the best possible solution.