The recent trouble at Lampi (Langpih, according to Meghalaya) leading to the death of two persons when the police opened fire, has once again brought to the fore Assam's never-ending disputes over its boundaries with the neighbouring states, more particularly Meghalaya, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
Lampi, about 50 km from Guwahati, has been in the news for the past couple of years with both Assam and Meghalaya laying claim on it — an issue that has only made the relationship between the two states more difficult over the inter-state borders. Two years ago, when Lampi had first shot into prominence, Meghalaya rushed to the Centre accusing Assam of illegal occupation of its territory.
Assam has a total boundary of 2885.3 km, of which 163 km and 265 km are international boundaries, the rest being inter-state. While it does not have much problem with Tripura, West Bengal and Bhutan, the remaining portions have been a major headache, including about 500 hectares of its territory that has been under illegal occupation of Bangladesh.
While Assam's inter-state boundary problems date back to 1963 when the Centre created Nagaland out of the then Naga Hills district, controversies with Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Mizoram was triggered off by the Northeastern Areas Reorganisation Act, 1971.
In 1972, two hill districts — United Khasi & Jaintia Hills and Garo Hills — together became Meghalaya, while the erstwhile Lushai Hills district was upgraded to a Union territory (later, a state in 1986). The former North East Frontier Agency (NEFA), administered by the Governor of Assam, on the other hand, was made a Union territory and renamed Arunachal Pradesh.
These disputes have in the past led to major flare-ups, especially on the Assam-Nagaland boundary, the worst being that of June 4, 1985, when the police forces of both states were engaged in a war-like confrontation. It led to the death of at least 100 persons.
While several committees and commissions have been set up by the Centre to resolve the disputes, nothing significant seems to have occurred in the past 30 years. One such panel set up by the Supreme Court is headed by retired Justice S N Variava, which is looking into Assam's boundary problems with Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. It has not progressed much, with tensions along the border becoming almost a routine affair.
"We have been looking at the panels set up by the Supreme Court to resolve the issues amicably. There have been numerous instances of deliberate attempts to encroach upon Assam's territory by Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh. Nagaland is the biggest problem, especially because that state does not want to abide by the constitutionally demarcated boundary," says Gautam Roy, Assam Minister for Border Areas Development.
Roy had only recently informed the state Assembly that over 86,800 hectares of land belonging to Assam have been under encroachment and illegal occupation of the four neighbouring states. Among them, Nagaland alone has been illegally occupying 66,242 hectares of land, he said.
While most of the "encroachments" have taken place in the reserved forests on the inter-state boundaries, it is only when such encroachments affect villages that the issue flares up. At Merapani and other areas on the Assam-Nagaland boundary, the Centre has deployed paramilitary forces. On the Arunachal Pradesh front, there's been complaints that the other state has constructed police check gates well within Assam's territory.
Assam shares 263 km of international boundary with Bangladesh and 265 km with Bhutan. Nearly 500 acres of Assam land has been under occupation of Bangladesh and the issue has been taken up at diplomatic levels.
Social Plugin