TMPK students' body blocks Arunachal border over firing that injured 12

The Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK), the apex student organisation of Assam's Mising community, on Wednesday, Aug 12 launched an indefinite economic blockade against Arunachal Pradesh in protest against alleged firing in which 12 indigenous people were injured.

As part of the agitation, protesters blocked key entry points along the inter-state border, including roads at Dwarmukh-Banderdewa, Ruksin in Dhemaji, Banderdewa in Lakhimpur, Solengi in Gohpur and Pabhoi in Biswanath, they said.

At least 12 people from Assam were injured on Monday (Aug 10) after alleged firing by miscreants from Arunachal Pradesh along the inter-state border in Dhemaji district over land encroachment issues.

"Such incidents along the inter-state border are not new, but our government has not taken it seriously. This time, our agitation will continue till all the culprits are arrested and handed over to Assam Police," TMPK secretary Saan Panging said.

Along with TMPK, other local social groups such as Mising Mimag Kebang (MMK) and Takam Mising Mahila Kebang (TMMK) are supporting the agitation and have stopped all vehicles bearing Arunachal Pradesh registration numbers at the entry points. The organisations are demanding an early resolution of the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border dispute, action against the "miscreants" who fired two days earlier, and an end to alleged encroachment on Assam land.

On August 10, the firing incident took place at Mingmang Basti along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border in Gogamukh revenue circle of Gerukamukh police station. Police said the clash erupted following a dispute over alleged encroachment by people from Arunachal Pradesh on land in Assam.

Assam and Arunachal Pradesh share an 804.1-km border passing through Udalguri, Sonitpur, Biswanath, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Charaideo districts of Assam, and 12 districts of the adjoining state, with around 1,200 points of dispute along the border.

The Assam government had told the state Assembly on July 29 that Arunachal Pradesh had allegedly encroached upon 16,144.01 hectares of land, of which Arunachal Pradesh is claiming 858.91 sq km.

Both states have constituted 12 regional committees to resolve the border disputes and are taking steps based on their recommendations, with the panels having jointly toured disputed areas and held consultations with stakeholders. A Namsai Declaration was signed by the chief ministers of the two states on July 15, 2022, setting in motion measures to resolve differences over 123 villages in Assam claimed by Arunachal Pradesh, followed by a memorandum of understanding signed by the two chief ministers in the presence of the Union Home Minister in New Delhi on April 20, 2023.

Of the 123 villages claimed by Arunachal Pradesh, differences over 71 have been resolved, while the process is under way to address issues concerning the remaining 52.

Arunachal Pradesh was initially a centrally administered region after Independence and later became a Union Territory before attaining full statehood in 1987. After it attained statehood, a tripartite committee was appointed and recommended transfer of certain territories from Assam to the new state. Assam contested the recommendation, and the matter is pending before the Supreme Court.