The recent ‘invasion’ by the officials of Assam Police and Forest department in Papum Pare and Longding districts of Arunachal Pradesh that resulted in destruction of several tea plantations and rice fields is the latest proof that Assam is yet to discard its habit of displaying aggression, the sole purpose perhaps is to remind the Northeast that it’s the undisputed numero uno in the region. At a time when the Chief Ministers of both the states have agreed to sort out the decades-old boundary disputes through an out-of-court settlement, such incidents will only revive mistrust and animosity and keep the conflicts alive. Like all previous instances of a similar kind, this time too Arunachal has been at the receiving end and it’s unfortunate to note that the national media, as usual has covered the said incidents in a casual manner. It seems Arunachal has been taken for granted and its restraint construed as perennial meekness.
It will be a long list if the number of incidents wherein Assam has been blamed for illegally intruding into the territories of Arunachal Pradesh is compiled. Typically, after any incident the state sends a customary protest to its counterpart with the reminder not to repeat them in future. Invariably, none of such appeals for restraints are adhered to, clearly evident from the steady continuity of such wrongdoings. Border disputes involving Assam and various states in the NE have only thrived since decades due to lack of critical attention and it took the bloodshed of a Assam-Mizoram flare-up kind to explore alternative solutions like satellite imaging, now mooted. As per reports, for arriving at more acceptable and permanent solution to the long-standing inter-state border disputes in the Northeast, the North Eastern Space Application Centre (NESAC) has been asked to map and demarcate the boundaries of all the states using satellite imaging. The technology has been there since quite a few years and could have been tried much before- yet another example of delay in doing the right thing at the right time. After bitter exchanges of harsh words that led to the inter-state relationship between Assam and Mizoram reaching the nadir, the two states have agreed to resume dialogues. In another major development, Assam and Nagaland have agreed to withdraw security forces from their border locations in a bid to wipe out tensions. All these are urgently necessary to add strength to the region’s unity as a whole.
The region’s leadership, particularly Assam must remember that a weak NE will mean allowing elbow room to China which the hostile neighbour will not fail to utilise to execute its ulterior motives. Whether with Arunachal or with any NE state, Assam mustn’t display the attitude that would escalate hostility and misgivings.

---

Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

<< Back to News List