Assam-Arunachal Border Dispute: Both State Govts sign MoU to end 51-year-old dispute in Union HM Amit Shah’s presence

On April 20, the Assam and Arunachal Pradesh governments ended their 51-year border disputes along their boundaries and signed a boundary agreement here in the national capital in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the North Block office of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). It is pertinent to note that Assam shares an 804 km long boundary with Arunachal Pradesh.

“Since 1972 to till date the border dispute between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh could not be resolved. Nearly 800 km boundary dispute has been ended today,” Amit Shah said after the MoU was signed between the two states.

CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said in an interview with ANI, “The signing of an MoU between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh today to settle an inter-state boundary dispute will prove to be a milestone. This will bring peace and development to the Northeast region.”

CM Pema Khandu said, “The border dispute was settled today by signing the MoU between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. This is a historic movement for both states”

Though there was no dispute initially, over the years, the allegations of residents of one state encroaching on land on the other have led to disputes and violence. It is pertinent to note that a suit on the issue has been pending in the Supreme Court since 1989.

In 2021, following the insistence of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, both states resolved to settle their border dispute out of court through talks. In July last year, both states signed the Namsai Declaration, where it was agreed to bring down the number of disputed villages from 123 to 86 and resolve the boundary row by forming 12 committees, each headed by a cabinet minister, that visit disputed areas, take feedback from residents and submit reports to their respective governments.

[with inputs from ANI]