IDSA devises 'formulas' to resolve inter-state border disputes in Northeast

The Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA) has recently submitted a report to the BJP led government at the Centre, giving some probable formulas to resolve the inter-state border disputes among the Northeastern states writes ETV Bharat's Gautam Baruah.

Guwahati: The Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA) has recently submitted a report to the BJP led government at the Centre, giving some probable formulas to resolve the inter-state border disputes among the Northeastern states.

Union Minister of State for Home Nityananda Rai has recently stated this during the ongoing Budget session of the Parliament. He said that the report prepared by the IDSA had already been sent to all the states in the northeast region seeking their comments.

"All the states in the region will study the IDSA report thoroughly and then submit their views on it to the Central government. Based on the suggestions of the states, the Centre will take steps to resolve the border dispute permanently," he said.

Assam has inter-state border disputes with Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh. Due to the lack of proper demarcation of the inter-state border and use of common areas by residents of all the states, there have been numerous skirmishes among the people of these states.

Although the BJP led government at the Centre had in the past met the Chief Ministers of all the four states together and separately to hammer out a solution to resolve the conflict permanently, a unanimous solution is yet to be achieved in this regard.

After a series of meetings between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Ministers of Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Mizoram, the Central government had engaged the New Delhi-based IDSA to study the problems and to come out with probable solutions.

The border disputes between Assam and Mizoram took an ugly turn in July last year when police personnel of both states fired at each other which led to the death of several policemen on the Assam side.

Assam often claims that the neighboring states have occupied over 69010 hectares of land that belongs to Assam. Most of these lands are occupied by Nagaland while according to Assam substantial land is also being occupied by states like Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh.