Assam and Meghalaya end a 50-year-old border dispute
The long-standing dispute between Assam and Meghalaya began in 1972 when Meghalaya was carved out of Assam.
Assam Chief Minister (CM) Himanta Biswa Sarma and Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma signed an agreement in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Tuesday, 29 March, to resolve the 50-year-old inter-state border dispute between the two states.
“I want to thank Amit Shah for giving us the direction to resolve the border disputes. Today, the first phase of the resolution has been done. It could only be possible because of Himanta Biswa Sarma,” Sangma said soon after signing the agreement.
History Behind Border Demarcation- During British rule, Assam consisted of the present-day Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya, besides Mizoram, which later became separate states.
However, the long-standing dispute between Assam and Meghalaya began in 1972 when Meghalaya was carved out of Assam under the Assam Reorganisation Act, 1971, a law that it challenged.
The two states share an 884-km-long border.
However, Meghalaya has held a different interpretation of the border since.
Major Point of Contention- Since 1993, twelve (12) areas of differences have evolved between the two states. The said areas are: Upper Tarabari, Gazang reserve forest, Hahim, Langpih, Borduar, Boklapara, Nongwah, Matamur, Khanapara-Pilangkata, Deshdemoreah Block I and Block II, Khanduli and Retacherra.
Prior Himant Biswa Sarma had said there had been “a ton of push” from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah to determine the distinctions between the two states. “If India and Bangladesh can resolve the border issues then why can’t the two states — the is the stand the Centre has taken,” he said.
Taking to Twitter, Shah considered the marking of the interstate border settlement a “historic day” for the northeast.
“Today, a 50-year-old pending boundary dispute between Assam and Meghalaya has been resolved. 6 out of 12 points of the dispute has been resolved, which comprises nearly 70% of the boundary. The remaining 6 points will be resolved at the earliest”, Home Minister Amit Shah said to the press.
Ahead of the arrangement signing, the two CMs supposedly had the last round of conversation with the MHA.
A draft resolution was presented by the CMs of Assam and Meghalaya to Home Minister Amit Shah on January 31 for assessment and thought by the MHA. The states of Assam and Meghalaya had thought of a draft resolution to determine their border disputes in six of the 12 “areas of difference” along with the 884-km limit.
