Inter-state border dispute will be resolved soon, informs Assam Minister Atul Bora

Assam Border Protection and Development Minister Atul Bora on February 14  said that talks are going on with neighbouring states Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Mizoram to resolve inter-state boundary disputes.

He informed that the talks will be resumed once the Meghalaya elections are over and added that talks are going on with Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh as well. 

Earlier on September , 2022, In its continuing efforts to resolve the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh boundary issue by both the State Government of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, the Regional Committees of Namsai, Lohit & Lower Dibang Valley Districts of Arunachal Pradesh and Tinsukia District of Assam had conducted its second Joint Meeting at Arunachal Bhawan in Mohanbari.

The third round of border talks between Mizoram and Assam was held in Guwahati on November 17, barely two weeks later than the previous schedule. 

Delegations of both states held talks to resolve the long-standing inter-state boundary dispute.

The Mizoram delegation was headed by Home Minister Lalchamliana and Atul Bora led the Assam team. 

The third round of border talks between Mizoram and Assam was originally scheduled on November 4 but could not be held due to President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to Mizoram. 

During the meeting, both sides stressed resolving the border dispute issue. 
Mizoram Home Minister apologized for the Lailapur incident that happened last year in July and further added that the incident was rather sad and unfortunate.  
He said that Mizoram is committed to resolving the inter-state border dispute and no such incidents will ever again be repeated in future. 

The following decisions arrived at the high-level meeting between the two states: 

1. Government of Mizoram will furnish the list of villages, their areas, geospatial extent, and ethnicity of the people and other relevant information within three months to support their claim which can be examined by setting up Regional Committees from both sides to arrive at an amicable resolution of the vexed border issues. The government of Assam will extend full cooperation wherever sought. 

2. Both sides agreed to abide by the resolutions encapsulated in the Joint Statement of 5th August 2021 signed in Aizawl. 

3. Both sides agreed to continue their resolve to maintain peace and harmony on the Inter-State border among communities living on both sides with a view to further strengthen their age-old ties: 

4. High-level delegation from Mizoram expressed that there has been huge unrest among the areca nut growers in Labnambano. Mizoram on account of problems being faced in the transportation of their produce to Assam and other parts of the country. 
Both sides agreed to refer the issue to respective Chief Ministers to evolve an amicable solution. 

5. Both sides also agreed to continue a sustained zero-tolerance policy against the transportation of smuggled areca nuts from other countries. 

Mizoram and Assam, which share a 164.6-km-long inter-state boundary, had a long-standing border dispute. 

While Mizoram claimed that the 509 square miles stretch of the inner line reserve forest was notified by the British in 1875 as its actual boundary, Assam said that the map prepared by Survey of India in 1933 as its constitutional boundary. However, there is no ground demarcation between the two states.
The border standoff between the two neighbouring states has surfaced roughly since 1997 and skirmishes and clashes between residents of the two states became frequent since 2018.
The border dispute took an ugly turn in July 2021 when police forces of the two states exchanged fire at the inter-state boundary, leading to the death of six policemen and a civilian from Assam.