ASSAM-ARUNACHAL BORDER DISPUTE

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The Chief Minister of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh has recently signed an agreement to end border issues between the two states and they also decided to “limit” the number of disputed villages to 86 instead of 123.
The Chief Ministers of the two North-eastern neighbours met at Namsai in Arunachal Pradesh and signed the ‘Namsai Declaration’ to end and limit border disputes.
Both have decided to form a committee for resolving boundary disputes.
- The committees will survey the disputed areas to find a sustainable solution based on historical viewpoint, ethnicity, peoples’ will and administrative convenience of the states.

Background

Assam and Arunachal Pradesh share a border of 804.1 km.
Arunachal Pradesh was made a union territory in 1972 and became a State in 1987.
In 1987, a tripartite committee was appointed which recommended that certain territories be transferred from Assam to Arunachal Pradesh.
Arunachal Pradesh from time to time has raised the concern that several forest areas in the plains that traditionally belonged to hill tribal chiefs and communities were unilaterally transferred to Assam.