Miscreants from Arunachal fired inside Assam territory, four accused identified, custody sought: Min

The Assam government on Thursday, August 13, asserted that miscreants from Arunachal Pradesh fired inside Assam's territory in an area that was not disputed, and the state police have identified four accused and sought their custody from the neighbouring state.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with the leadership of Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK), which is spearheading an indefinite economic blockade of Arunachal Pradesh, at Dhemaji Circuit House, Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu said the discussion ended on a positive note, with the protesters also expressing happiness over the stand of the Assam government on the incident.

Leaders of the TMPK, the apex student organisation of Assam's Mising community, issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Arunachal Pradesh government to apprehend the four identified accused, who have been named in an FIR lodged by Assam Police, and hand them over to the Assam administration, failing which it would intensify its stir.

"As per information, four people from Arunachal Pradesh fired on people from Assam at Badati village of Mingmang panchayat in Dhemaji district. The incident did not take place in any disputed land, it was clearly Assam's territory as per our records," Pegu said.

Four people from Hime village in Arunachal Pradesh were involved in the incident, he added.

"Assam Police have provided the names and addresses of these four people to their Arunachal Pradesh counterparts and sought their custody. Assam Police will arrest them whenever they are found inside our state," Pegu said in the presence of Border Protection and Development Minister Atul Bora.

TMPK and other local groups on Wednesday launched an indefinite economic blockade of Arunachal Pradesh in protest against the alleged firing in which 12 indigenous people from Assam were injured.

TMPK president Tilak Doley said the meeting was positive and the organisation presented its demands, which the government promised to look at favourably.

"We have set a target of 48 hours to arrest the four accused in the firing incident. Otherwise, our agitation will intensify in the coming days," he added.

Doley said the agitation was not against any civil society groups of Arunachal Pradesh, such as Galo Welfare Society, Galo Students Union, Adi Students Union and other similar groups, and the TMPK is in talks with them.

At least 12 people from Assam were injured on Monday after alleged firing by miscreants from Arunachal Pradesh along the inter-state border in Dhemaji district over land encroachment issues.

Along with TMPK, other local social groups like Mising Mimag Kebang (MMK) and Takam Mising Mahila Kebang (TMMK) are supporting the blockade and have stopped all vehicles, barring the emergency and school transportation, from coming or going to Arunachal Pradesh at the entry points.