ES Reporter 

ITANAGAR, Sep 25: The Local Development Demand Committee (LDDC) and Durpai Youth Welfare Association (DYWA)  in a press conference today claimed that the MoU signed between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, in the presence of the Union Home Minister on April 20, 2023, violates the fundamental rights of the villagers of Durpai, Kangku Circle, Likabali, Lower Siang District.
Addressing the media, LDDC President Reli Kena stated that the villagers of Durpai have been the original inhabitants of Arunachal Pradesh since time immemorial and are adversely affected by the border/boundary dispute between the States of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. He further claimed that both state governments are set to hold a meeting, and if the decision does not favour the villagers, the people of Durpai will not remain silent.
Durpai, a part of Arunachal Pradesh, was transferred or given to Assam, creating a land-locked village surrounded by Assam on all sides. The transfer occurred because, according to the State of Arunachal Pradesh, Durpai village is situated beyond the 3 km radius of the HPTC-defined boundary. However, this concept of a 3 km radius, according to Kena, is arbitrary and illegal on the part of the government of Arunachal Pradesh.
The stated objective of the MoU is to settle the interstate boundary dispute between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, although the issue is still sub judice and pending before the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Original Suit No. 1 of 1989, the MoU was signed without the consent and consultation of the villagers of Durpai.
LDDC Secretary Regi Bui further stated, "We have been living in the area since time immemorial and have never been under the administrative control of Assam." He expressed surprise that paragraph 15 of the MoU states: “Durpai Village is situated more than 3 km away from the HPTC boundary inside Assam and is to be clustered in a loop with New Mingmang village, which will remain with Arunachal Pradesh. The area encompassed within the loop will be compensated by the exchange of an uninhabited equal area from Arunachal Pradesh. The area of exchange will be finalized by Arunachal Pradesh within six months.” He claimed this was incorrect and illegal, as Arunachal Pradesh has always opposed the HPTC boundary, and the concept of the 3 km radius is arbitrary and baseless.
Bui further stated that paragraph 20 of the MoU claims the agreement was reached after physical verification on the ground by regional committees using geo-spatial tools. However, he argued that no such physical verification had ever taken place in Durpai village. He called the MoU signed on April 20, 2023, in the presence of the Union Home Minister, "wrong, arbitrary, and grossly illegal," as it violates the fundamental rights of the villagers, guaranteed under Articles 14, 21, and 29 of the Constitution of India.
The LDDC also urged Chief Minister Pema Khandu to unconditionally withdraw the MoU signed on April 20, 2023, in the interest of the villagers of Durpai, Arunachal Pradesh.

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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

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