Assam and Arunachal Officials Reaffirm Status Quo in Border Dispute Talks

Narayanpur (Assam), Aug 29:

In a bid to defuse tensions along their sensitive boundary, senior administrative officials from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh convened a high-level coordination meeting at Narayanpur in Assam’s Lakhimpur district on Thursday. The talks, held under tight security, aimed to strengthen cooperation between the two states over the long-contested Assam–Arunachal inter-state border dispute.

Key Outcomes of the Meeting

The dialogue was led by Assam Deputy Commissioner Pronab Jit Kakoty and Arunachal Deputy Commissioner Vishakha Yadav, with senior police officers and revenue officials in attendance. After detailed discussions, both delegations agreed on three critical measures:

1. Maintain Status Quo – No new encroachments, constructions, or claims will be made in areas that remain under dispute.

2. Joint Verification – Teams comprising officers from both states will routinely monitor sensitive zones to prevent flare-ups or misinterpretations.

3. Confidence-Building Initiatives – The administrations will introduce cultural exchanges, joint sports events, and people-to-people interactions among border communities to foster goodwill.

Officials stressed that these measures are not only administrative but also aimed at addressing the deep-seated mistrustamong local populations who live with uncertainty along the contested border.

Historical Context of the Dispute

The Assam–Arunachal boundary has been a source of friction for decades, dating back to the colonial demarcations of 1873 under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation. When Arunachal Pradesh (then the North East Frontier Agency, NEFA) was carved out, portions of land—particularly forest tracts and hill villages—remained disputed.

The conflict escalated over time, leading to:

• Periodic clashes between villagers, sometimes resulting in violence and displacement.

• Encroachment allegations from both states, with residents caught in a web of dual taxation, policing, and uncertainty over land titles.

A major breakthrough came in July 2022 with the signing of the Namsai Declaration, in which both states agreed to reduce the number of disputed villages from 123 to 86. This was widely hailed as a landmark in inter-state relations.

The Current Push for Resolution

Thursday’s reaffirmation of the status quo is being seen as an extension of the goodwill generated by the Namsai Declaration. While a final settlement is still pending, officials underscored the need to avoid local-level conflicts until a permanent solution is reached.

Speaking after the meeting, an Assam official noted,

“The priority is peace and cooperation. By working together, we ensure that local communities feel secure and are not drawn into disputes.”

An Arunachal counterpart added that both states are committed to addressing grievances through dialogue rather than confrontation.

Impact on Local Communities

Border villages such as those in Papum Pare (Arunachal) and North Lakhimpur (Assam) often bear the brunt of the uncertainty. Villagers face dual claims of authority, difficulty in accessing government schemes, and occasional clashes over cultivation rights. The new emphasis on sports and cultural exchanges is expected to humanize relations and allow residents on both sides to view each other as partners rather than adversaries.

Way Forward

Though Thursday’s meeting did not announce a final settlement, observers point out that consistent engagement at the administrative and political levels is gradually de-escalating tensions. Analysts believe that the issue may eventually move toward arbitration or a Supreme Court-monitored resolution, but in the meantime, such local-level agreements are vital for stability.

With both Assam and Arunachal Pradesh reiterating their commitment to status quo and dialogue, the meeting is being seen as another incremental step in one of the Northeast’s most complex boundary disputes