Kohima: Border Peace Co-ordination Committee (BPCC) representatives of Assam and Nagaland states have unanimously resolved to form an apex body of a federal set up at the earliest time possible, so that the intervention factor in the border conflicts among people of the two states becomes more sustained and effective.
This resolution was taken in the presence of Supreme Court (SC) appointed Mediators senior advocates Niranjan Bhatt, Shriram Panchu, advocates Aparna Vasu and Priyadarshini at a closed door meeting during the second day of the joint meeting of the Border Peace Coordination Committee at Nagaland Armed Police Training Center, Chumukedima, near Dimapur yesterday.
Sources said the Peace Committee members, while affirming for continued efforts towards bridging the gap between the people of the two states, had reached a consensus for ‘establishment of a greater forum by incorporating federal set up involving the peace committee operating in the entire border belt.’
“In order to materialize such a platform, the existing BPCC operating in different sectors of the two states at the meeting resolved to convene a meeting at the earliest date at a convenient location,” sources said.
Sources also said the four SC mediators were satisfied with the ongoing process and anticipated more such interactions with the BPCCs in the future, which is ‘if the Supreme Court directs after the handing of Saturday’s report.
Recently, after an assurance from the appointed mediators that the mediation proceeding will not be an endless affair on the court’s contention that the border dispute between the two states has been pending in the court for more than 25 years, the SC through Court Master Shashi Sareen and Veena Khera on March 11, 2013 extended the time for four months for the Mediators to take the mediation process forward and if possible to submit a final report or recommendations.
Another hearing on the Nagaland- Assam border dispute is likely to be held in August next.
Border dispute between the two states originated since 1962 statehood declaration of Nagaland which was subsequently followed by a SC suit filed by Assam Government in 1988 against the Union of India to identify the boundaries between the state of Nagaland, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. (UNI)