Itanagar, Aug 13: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Thursday appealed to people of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam to maintain harmony and mutual respect, following a firing incident along the inter-state border, and welcomed the “positive and reassuring” statement of his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma.
In a post on social media, Khandu said Assam and Arunachal Pradesh share a “deep bond of history, friendship and brotherhood” and stressed that differences between the two neighbouring states should always be addressed through dialogue, mutual understanding and peaceful means.
“I heartily welcome the positive and reassuring statement by Hon’ble Assam Chief Minister Shri @himantabiswa Ji,” Khandu said in a post on X.
“Assam and Arunachal Pradesh share a deep bond of history, friendship and brotherhood. Our differences must always be addressed through dialogue, mutual understanding and peaceful means,” he said.
The chief minister also appealed to people on both sides of the border not to allow the recent developments to affect the long-standing ties between the two states.
“I appeal to the people of both Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to maintain peace, harmony and mutual respect. Let us not allow differences to overshadow the strong bonds that unite our people,” he said.
“Let us not allow differences to overshadow the strong bonds that unite our people,” Khandu added.
The statement came amid efforts by the two state governments to defuse tension following a firing incident along the Assam-Arunachal border in which several people from Assam were injured.
The incident took place in the Bodoti area of Mingmang along the inter-state boundary, with reports putting the number of injured at 11. Both state administrations subsequently stepped in to prevent the situation from escalating.
The incident was followed by an indefinite economic blockade against Arunachal Pradesh launched by the Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK), an apex student organisation of Assam’s Mising community, on Wednesday.
The organisation demanded action against those allegedly involved in the firing and sought their arrest. The blockade affected road links and movement of goods between the two states.
The situation witnessed a further escalation on Thursday when fresh tension was reported in Likabali area of Lower Siang district, with protesters from the two sides coming face-to-face. Police fired warning shots in the air to disperse the crowd, according to reports.
The developments followed an appeal by Sarma for the matter to be investigated and resolved through due process.
On Wednesday, he had sought a probe into the firing incident and urged that the issue be handled in a manner that would prevent further escalation. Khandu had also assured that the Arunachal Pradesh government would ensure an impartial inquiry and take appropriate action based on the findings.
The two states share an 804-km-long boundary and have had a decades-old boundary dispute, but their governments have in recent years pursued dialogue and institutional mechanisms to resolve outstanding differences.
The Namsai Declaration signed by the two chief ministers was aimed at reducing the number of disputed villages and providing a framework for resolving the long-pending boundary issues. (PTI)
