ITANAGAR, 1 Aug: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) has vehemently condemned the act of destroying standing crops, tea plantation and rice cultivation in Lora village in Kimin circle of Papum Pare district and Longkhojan village in Kanubari circle of Longding district by Assam Police and forest officials.
The union said it has also taken serious note of the repeated illegalities committed by Assam Police and forest officials in various villages in Kangku circle of Lower Siang district.
Terming the incidents an “act of threat and intimidation to the peace-loving people of Arunachal Pradesh,” the union demanded that the state government register its protest at the highest level against the illegalities committed by Assam officials.
It said that remaining silent over the incidents would only embolden Assam to carry out more such atrocities on the interstate boundary dwellers.
The AAPSU termed the last-minute cancellation of the high-power committee meeting on boundary issues without citing any reasons “unfortunate.”
“When there are already talks of resolving the boundary issue between Arunachal Pradesh and Assam at the highest level, such incidents defeat the very purpose of conflict resolution,” the union said in a press statement.
It said that the recent incident of showing Kimin in Arunachal as ‘Bilgarh’ in Assam also pointed to “a larger controversy.”
The union said it will visit both the eastern and western boundary areas of the state to ascertain the ground realities and the problems being faced by the people living along the interstate boundaries.
The AAPSU said it has also taken a serious view of the rising instances of boundary issues between Assam and other northeastern states.
“Boundary issues can be resolved only through talks,” the union said, and appealed to all parties to maintain peace and tranquillity and the status quo along the interstate boundaries.
The union urged the central government to immediately intervene in the Assam-Mizoram boundary issue, and called upon individuals and organizations to lift the economic blockade imposed against Mizoram.
