Assam -Nagaland border dispute
Guwahati: In a meeting mediated by the Union Minister of State for Home, Kiren Rijiju, the Chief Ministers of Assam and Nagaland, Tarun Gogoi and T R Zeliang respectively, promised to take up joint efforts to resolve the vexed boundary dispute even as a bandh called against Wednesday”s police firing at Golaghat shut down the state (Guwahati) on Thursday.
After attending the meeting here, Rijiju pointed out that the BJP-led government at the Centre had taken a very serious view of current spell of violence and trouble along the disputed Assam-Nagaland boundary and would take all possible steps to resolve it.
He said the current crisis had occurred because of apparent lack of communication at the ground level. He warned opportunist forces against trying to exploit the situation to create trouble in the State.
The meeting between Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang took five key resolutions – both the states would put up joint efforts to resolve the boundary issue; both the governments would not allow economic blockades resorted to by various protesting organisations against each other; Nagaland government would try to secure release of two persons abducted by Naga miscreants from Uriamghat area, Assam which precipitated the present crisis; both the governments would focus on rehabilitation of those persons who have been rendered homeless because of the violence along the inter-state boundary; and joint peace committee comprising representatives of various organisations from both the states will be formed at inter-state boundary areas.
Tarun Gogoi termed Thursday’s meeting as a good beginning and hoped that the boundary dispute would be resolved soon. He said that the situation along the troubled inter-state boundary area at ”B’ Sector in Uriamghat in Golaghat had been brought under control.
Indefinite curfew continued to remain clamped in Golaghat town and adjoining areas since Wednesday. Army on Thursday staged flag march in Golaghat town and neighbouring areas where indefinite curfew was clamped since Wednesday following the police firing.
The town wore a deserted look with people staying indoors. Curfew was also clamped in Bokakhat sub-division of Golaghat district as pre-emptive measure after protestors had stormed the highway leading to Nagaland to block any vehicular traffic on it.
Normal life was paralysed all over the state especially in Brahmaputra valley on Thursday because of the bandh called by several organisations including the Opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) against Wednesday’s police firing on protestors near Golaghat town that claimed three lives besides causing injury to scores others.
The public transport system in Brahmaputra valley went off the road due to the bandh while government offices, private organisations, business houses and educational institutions remained shut for the day throwing the life out of gear in the state.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Golaghat district called representatives of seven agitating oganisations for a meeting to find a way out of the impasse even as the curfew caused hardship
for people. The organisations have demanded protection of people living in inter-state boundary areas, adequate monetary compensation at the rate of Rs five lakh against each of those killed by Naga miscreants along the inter-state boundary areas as well as the three persons killed in police firing on Wednesday.
The organisations also demanded immediate rehabilitation of those rendered homeless because of the attack statrted by the Naga miscreats.