YUPIA, Dec 18: Following the eviction drive at Dollungmukh on 8 December, Papum Pare Deputy Commissioner Tai Kaye met Biswanath Deputy Commissioner DJ Kalita in an interstate Assam-Arunachal coordination meeting at Gohpur (Assam) on 18 December, and urged his Assam counterpart to maintain the status quo and uphold mutual peace and trust between the two districts.
Kaye informed that the interstate relation has been by and large peaceful, but the eviction drive by Assam forest officials “was not in the interest of both the states.”
When the DC and the DFO of Biswanath district informed that “Arunachalees are in the habit of encroaching Assam reserve forest area,” Kaye reiterated for them to maintain the status quo, on the basis of the Assam-Arunachal Local Boundary Commission Report, within 0 to 3 km radius along the working boundary in favour of Arunachal Pradesh, and 3 to 5 km in favour of Assam.
The Biswanath DC requested the Papum Pare DC to furnish a copy of the Local Boundary Commission Report as it has reportedly not been furnished to them by the Assam government.
Kaye made it clear that for lasting peace and understanding, Assam has to be equally responsible to maintain the status quo.
Urging them to understand the parameter of human sentiment, Kaye said that humans could not be driven out like animals as interstate and international border problems cannot be acted upon whimsically as in the case of intra-state problems.
He further urged his Assam counterpart to remove and shift the “illegal forest protection camp” at Radaso, which was recently set up.
The Biswanath DC and the DFO agreed in principle to take up the matter with the Assam government for removal of the forest protection camp from the present site.
The Biswanath DC also instructed his DFO to maintain a proper communication channel with the DFO of Papum Pare to sort out problems amicably and in good faith.
Further, the DC and the SDO suggested holding interstate boundary meetings on a regular basis, besides holding outreach programmes, sharing information, conducting joint patrolling, and exploring mechanism to ensure cordial relations between the two states.
Administrative officials and police and forest officers from Assam were also present in the meeting. (DIPRO)
