Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday reviewed the issues related to the border with Nagaland. During this, he emphasized on maintaining permanent peace on the border. The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said in a post that Sarma discussed all the challenges related to the border dispute in a high-level meeting. He said that constructive dialogue is very important for peace and prosperity in the border areas. The Chief Minister also said that Assam desires to maintain its historical and cultural ties with Nagaland as well as economic cooperation and lasting harmony.
History of border dispute and seriousness of Assam
Assam and Nagaland have a border of about 512 km, the dispute of which has remained since the formation of Nagaland. The state of Nagaland was established in 1963, since then there has been a confrontation between the two states over some parts of the border. The Assam government has informed the Assembly that Nagaland has illegally occupied the largest part of Assam’s land. According to Assam, Nagaland has occupied about 59,490 hectares of land which is legally the property of Assam. The dispute is currently pending in the Supreme Court and is being settled there.
Chief Minister’s stand for peace on the border
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made it clear in the meeting that Assam believes in peace and cooperation to resolve the border dispute. He proposed regular dialogue to maintain lasting peace and harmony between the two states. He said that any border dispute can be resolved only when both the parties talk with an open mind and give priority to collective interest. Sarma assured that Assam will take all possible steps to protect its borders but it does not believe in spoiling relations.
Way forward and role of Supreme Court
The Assam government is following the orders of the Supreme Court in the matter of border dispute. In the meeting, the Chief Minister respected the decision of the court and expressed confidence in the judicial process. He said that a permanent solution will come only after the decision of the court. Plans are also being made to increase economic cooperation between Assam and Nagaland so that the people of the border area can get the benefits of development and the negativity arising from the dispute can be removed. Other senior officials of the state were also present in this meeting who supported the Chief Minister’s proposal regarding the border dispute.
