Respect sanctity of status quo

A major crisis was averted on Thursday due to the alertness of the Papum Pare district administration following rumours of a boundary dispute between Assam and Arunachal at Gumto, in Papum Pare. Social media platforms in Assam were flooded with rumours that people of Arunachal, armed with weapons, had stopped the construction work for a boundary outpost of the 13th Assam battalion, about 50 metres away from the Gumto check post. The rumour later turned out to be false. This kind of mischievous act has the potential to cause harm to the relation between the two states.
The people of both the states should remain alert and verify any provocative information shared on social media. These days it has become very easy for people to spread rumours using social media. The administration on both the sides should take action against people spreading false information. The Assam-Arunachal boundary issue is a matter which is currently pending in the Supreme Court of India. Even though the matter is sub-judice, often tension breaks out along the boundary areas. The Assam government has especially failed to respect the SC order to maintain the status quo. While the court battle goes on, it is time both the governments, with the help of the Centre, explored possibilities of resolving this decades-old problem. To make the matter easy, there is BJP government in both the states and also at the Centre. This has offered a rare opportunity to resolve this long pending issue. The Assam-Arunachal boundary issue has affected relations between the people of the two states. People from Arunachal are often harassed while travelling through Assam.