After a long wait, finally the process for permanent demarcation of the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh interstate boundary has started in West Kameng district. As a pilot project, the survey for demarcation began on Friday for three areas: Kamengbari, Doimara, and Bhalukpong. The survey is being conducted under the supervision of the Survey of India (Meghalaya & Arunachal), in collaboration with the governments of Arunachal and Assam. This survey will cover 12 districts that share boundaries with Assam. This is really encouraging news. The Assam-Arunachal boundary dispute is one of the oldest conflicts that has hurt the relations between the two neighbours.
Besides loss of lives, the conflict also caused massive social and economic tension between the two states. The establishment of 12 regional committees on 1 June, 2022, followed by the Namsai Declaration on 15 July, 2022 paved the way for resolving the decades-old boundary disputes. Also, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on 20 April by the chief ministers of the two states in the presence of union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. The officials, as well as the people of West Kameng district, deserve appreciation for making every effort to resolve the dispute. The regional committee of the district has done a fantastic job of resolving all the outstanding disputes. West Kameng has shown the path by becoming the first district to start a survey for final demarcation. Hopefully, others will follow soon.