Arunachal Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday said that both the governments of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam are committed to bringing about a permanent solution to all existing boundary issues between the two neighbouring states.
“A permanent solution to the interstate boundary issue with Assam is not far away. With the active support of Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the first round of meeting to resolve the issue has already been conducted. The second round will be held within the next few days,” the chief minister said.
He was addressing the Silver Jubilee Mopin celebration at Hime in Kangku circle of Lower Siang district.
Acknowledging the hurdles faced by the people in the foothills of the Lower Siang district due to the decades-old boundary issues, Khandu said that the second meeting would be followed by ground visits by all the stakeholders.
“Both me and Sarma are committed to hammering out a permanent solution to all our existing boundary issues,” he said.
Earlier this year, Sarma had said Assam and Arunachal have decided to conduct a ground-level survey on the status of interstate boundaries as a step towards resolving the border row.
The Arunachal government had, last year, constituted a High-Power Ministerial Committee comprising representatives from several political parties, community-based organisations and student organisations to study and resolve the issue.
Assam and Arunachal Pradesh share an 804-km-long border, and there are 1,200 points of dispute.
Meanwhile, Khandu also appreciated the gesture of the Mising Autonomous Council leaders for attending the Mopin celebrations. He said the very presence of Paramananda Chayengia, the council’s chairman, with representatives of prominent Mishing organisations at the festival, proves the bonhomie and brotherhood shared by people of both the states living along the boundary.
“Because of administrative compulsions, we have to have a permanent interstate boundary. Otherwise, we have been living peacefully for ages,” he said.
The day-long celebrations also witnessed the Galo Welfare Society and Mishing Bane Kebang take a pledge to promote peace and harmony between the two neighbouring states.
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