Guwahati: Assam and Meghalaya signed a memorandum of understanding to end their 50-year boundary dispute on Tuesday.
The agreement was signed by the chief ministers of the two states, Himanta Biswa Sarma and Conrad Sangma, in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the chief secretaries of the two states, and other Home Ministry officials.
The signing of the agreement today to end a decades-long border conflict is a watershed moment for the northeast, according to Amit Shah. At the meeting at the MHA office, 11 people from the Meghalaya administration and nine from Assam were present.
“Today is a pivotal day for the northeast’s conflict-free future. “Since Modi ji became Prime Minister, he has worked tirelessly for the northeast’s pride,” Amit Shah remarked.
“I discussed the northeast border issue with the Prime Minister.” In Tripura, an agreement was reached between the armed groups in 2019. Over 34,000 people profited from the Bru Reang Agreement, which was signed on January 16, 2020.
On January 27, 2020, the historic Bodo Accord was signed, putting an end to a 50-year-old issue while maintaining Assam’s format and original identity. Then, in September 2021, the Karbi Anglong agreement was established, and this deal is still in effect today. He claimed that “70 percent of the border problem has been settled.”
“Off the 12 areas of difference, we have come to an agreement with Assam on six area. Further, a survey will be done by the Survey of India with both states involvement, and when that’s done the actual demarcation will take place, Meghalaya CM said.
“36 sq km comes under the ‘area of differences’, roughly including about 18 sq km area in both Assam and Meghalaya,” Sangma told news agency ANI.
The Assam and Meghalaya governments had come up with a draft resolution to resolve the border disputes in six of 12 regions along their state boundaries. Assam and Meghalaya share an 885-km-long border.
The agreement aims to resolve differences in six “areas of differences”, that comprise nearly 70 per cent of the total boundary.
Upper Tarabari, Gazang reserve forest, Hahim, Langpih, Borduar, Boklapara, Nongwah, Matamur, Khanapara-Pilangkata, Deshdemoreah Block I and Block II, Khanduli, and Retacherra are all part of the Assam-Meghalaya border dispute.
The Assam Reorganisation Act, 1971, was used to cut Meghalaya out of Assam, a statute that it opposed, resulting in disagreements.