After Mizoram, now border dispute of Assam with Arunachal comes into limelight

Guwahati: Amidst the ongoing attempt to de-escalate the situation between Assam and Mizoram, border dispute of Assam with Arunachal Pradesh has started surfacing with the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) mounting pressure on arunachal Pradesh government to register protest against  alleged illegalities committed by Assam Police and Forest officials in several villages under Kangku circle of Lower Siang district recently.

The apex students body of the frontier state has vehemently condemned the act of destroying standing crops, tea plantation and rice cultivation in Lora village in Kimin circle of Papum Pare district and Longkhojan village in Kanubari circle of Longding district by Assam police and forest officials.

Terming the incidents as an “act of threat and intimidation to the peace-loving people of Arunachal Pradesh,” the AAPSU demanded that the state government register its protest at the highest level against the illegalities committed by Assam officials.

It also warned that remaining silent over the incidents would only embolden Assam to carry out more such atrocities on the interstate boundary dwellers.

The AAPSU had convened a meeting on Sunday in connection with the border issues between Assam and its neighbouring states in the aftermath of the Assam-Mizoram border clash as well as alleged destruction of tea plantations and rice fields in Lora village of Kimin under Papum Pare district and Longkhojan village in the Kanubari circle of Longding district of the state. “The deafening silence and meek stand adopted by the Arunachal government is sending out a wrong message and instead emboldening its counterpart in carrying out such atrocities to the interstate boundary dwellers,” AAPSU president Hawa Bagang and general secretary Tobom Dai said in a joint statement.

Security sources keeping a close watch on inter-state border dispute said that Assam-Mizoram border clash has come as a trigger point that has surcharged the atmosphere of all the states of region accusing boundary dispute with Assam.

Meanwhile in a significant development Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said that he has directed the Police to withdraw the FIR against K Vanlalvena, the Rajya Sabha MP from Mizoram who had allegedly made “threatening statements” about the border violence issue. This came a day after the Mizoram government said that it would withdraw the FIR filed against Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

In between BJP MPs from the Northeast have also met the Prime Minister in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum on various issues pertaining to the region, including the Assam-Mizoram border row. They have expressed disapproval of attempts by a section of polity led by Congress and using these incidents to indulge in one-upmanship.

An all party delegation constituted by Assam assembly speaker Biswajit Daimary also visited the trouble-torn area of Assam Mizoram on Sunday. However, some of the members of the assembly alleged that they were not allowed to go up to the Assam border and committee members came back from Lailapur only whereas the Assam border is up to Vairengte about 3.5 kilometer from Lailapur, independent legislators told reporters.