Why in the News?

At least 11 youths from Assam were injured in firing near the Mingmang–Badati area of Dhemaji district, close to Hime village in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Siang district. The incident reportedly occurred amid a dispute over alleged land encroachment.

• The Hime–Mingmang area has also witnessed earlier disputes, including tensions related to road construction and competing territorial claims. 

Origin of Assam-Arunachal Pradesh Border Dispute

• The dispute has its roots in the colonial times when the British introduced the concept of Inner Line Regulation (ILR) in 1873. 
  • The ILR demarcated an imaginary boundary between plains and the frontier hills. These frontier hills were designated as North East Frontier Tracts (NEFT) in 1915. 
• NEFT consisted of the Ballipara Frontier Tract, the Lakhimpur Frontier Tract and the Sadiya Frontier Tract. 
  • These areas were kept outside the purview of the usual laws of the land.
• By 1946, the NEFT had been reorganized and was administered by the Governor of Assam. 
  • They now consist of Sadiya, Lakhimpur, Tirap, Sela Sub Agency and Subansiri area. 
  • Sela and Subansiri constituted what was the erstwhile Ballipara Frontier Tract.
• After India gained independence, NEFT came under the jurisdiction of the Government of Assam till January 26, 1950. 
• A sub-committee headed by Gopinath Bordoloi (then CM of Assam), in its report of 1951, recommended that the NEFT be administered by the Assam government. 
• As per the recommendations, around 3,648 kilometers of the plain area of Balipara and Sadiya foothills were transferred from NEFT to Assam’s then Darrang and Lakhimpur districts.
• But the Government of India decided to govern it as an “Excluded Area”, with the Governor of Assam acting as an agent of the President of India.   
•  In 1954,  NEFR was reconstituted as North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) and was brought under the Ministry of External Affairs. 
• In August 1965, the administration was transferred to the Ministry of Home Affairs, which supervised and controlled the region till 1972. 
• In 1972 NEFA was named Arunachal Pradesh and was granted the status of an Union Territory. 
• After that Arunachal Pradesh contended that several forested tracts in the plains traditionally belonging to the hill tribal chiefs and communities were transferred to Assam.
• Arunachal Pradesh has long held that the transfer of some parts of Balipara and Sadiya foothills in 1951 was done without the consultation of its people. 
• It was unilateral and arbitrary as no tribal leader from Arunachal Pradesh was consulted before the land was transferred. 
• Arunachal also claims that it had customary rights over these lands, considering the tribes living there would pay taxes to Ahom rulers. 
• Assam, on the other hand, claims that this demarcation as per 1951 notification is constitutional and legal. 

Efforts to Resolve the Boundary Dispute 

• • In 1979, a high-powered tripartite committee was constituted to delineate the boundary on the basis of Survey of India maps, as well as discussions with both sides. 
    • By 1983-84, 489 km out of 800 km boundary, mostly in the north bank of the Brahmaputra, were demarcated. 
  • However, further demarcation could not commence as Arunachal Pradesh did not accept the recommendations and claimed several kilometers out of the 3,648 sq km that was transferred as per the 1951 notification. 

• Assam objected and filed a case in the Supreme Court in 1989, highlighting an “encroachment” made by Arunachal Pradesh.

• To resolve the dispute between the states, the apex court appointed a local boundary commission in 2006, which submitted its report in September 2014. 

• Several recommendations were made and it was suggested that both states should arrive at a consensus through discussions. However, nothing happened.
• In 2022, Assam and Arunachal commenced CM-level talks over the border issue and it led to the historic Namsai Declaration on July 15, 2022.
• On April 20, 2023, Assam CM and his Arunachal Pradesh counterpart signed an MoU over the long-standing inter-state border dispute.
• In May 2026, joint surveys involving the administrations of both States and the Survey of India were continued in parts of Lower Siang and Dhemaji to scientifically delineate the boundary. 

MoU & Namsai Declaration

• CM-level talks over border issues commenced on January 24, 2022, where some key decisions were taken, such as.
  • Border issues between both the states would be confined to a list of 123 villages, which Arunachal Pradesh had claimed before the Local Commission in 2007. 
  • The boundary line delineated by the high powered tripartite committee in 1980 would be taken as the notified boundary and all realignment would be done in relation to it. 
  • Both states would set up 12 regional committees covering the 12 districts of Arunachal Pradesh and the 8 districts of Assam for joint verification of the 123 villages. 
• The dispute over 37 of these 123 villages had been resolved in the Namsai Declaration, where both the States “agreed in principle” over them. 
• Through the MoU, the dispute over another 34 villages has been “amicably resolved”.
• Of the 71 villages (37+34) over which an understanding has been reached, the following was decided:
  • 1 village in Arunachal Pradesh as per the notified boundary will be included in Assam.
  • 10 villages in Assam as per the notified boundary will remain with Assam
  • 60 villages in Assam as per the notified boundary will be included in Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Another 3 villages are located partially within the Indian Air Force’s bombing area in Dullong, Arunachal Pradesh. 
    • The MoU states that the matter regarding these 3 villages will be taken up by Arunachal Pradesh with the Government of India and the Air Force.
• The boundaries of 49 villages remain unresolved, with Regional Committees tasked to finalise them within six months through continuous dialogue.
  • The committees were to make recommendations keeping in view “historical perspective, administrative convenience, contiguity and people’s will” 
• As per the MoU, both the state governments agree that no new claim area or village will be added in the future beyond these 123 villages. 
• It also states that no new claim area or village will be added in the future beyond these 123 villages and that the MoU is “full and final” in respect to the 123 villages. 

Why Do Such Disputes Persist?

• Unclear ground demarcation in several stretches makes it difficult for local communities to determine the precise administrative boundary.
• Forest and agricultural land in the foothill region often has overlapping traditional and administrative claims.
• Infrastructure projects, such as roads, can become flashpoints when their alignment passes through disputed areas.
• Local-level mobilisation can rapidly transform a land dispute into a law-and-order issue.
• The difficult terrain and scattered settlements make surveying, fencing and administrative enforcement challenging.

Way Forward

The incident highlights the need to prevent local boundary disputes from turning into broader inter-State tensions.

• Both States should accelerate joint scientific surveys and ground demarcation using modern geospatial technology.
• District-level communication mechanisms should be strengthened so that local disputes are addressed before they escalate.
• Development projects in disputed areas should be undertaken only after inter-State consultation and clarity over jurisdiction.
• Local communities, traditional institutions and elected representatives should be involved in peace-building and dispute resolution.
• Law-and-order incidents should be investigated impartially, with accountability based on evidence rather than community identity.

One-line Wrap

The latest Assam–Arunachal border incident shows that lasting peace requires scientific boundary demarcation, institutional dialogue and community participation rather than episodic law-and-order responses.