In a major breakthrough towards de-escalating tensions at Assam-Nagaland border, the chief secretaries of both the states held a meeting on Saturday (July 31) and agreed to immediately withdraw security forces from border locations to their respective base camps.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma termed the agreement a ‘historic step’ and thanked Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio for working with Assam in restoring peace.
“This is a historic step in our relations. My gratitude to HCM Sri @Neiphiu_Rio for working with #Assam in restoring peace on the border. Assam is committed to ensuring peace along all its borders & strives for social & economic prosperity of #NorthEast region,” CM Sarma tweeted.
A meeting was held on Saturday with a view to de-escalating the tense situation prevailing in two locations in the Dessoi Valley Reserved Forest / Tsurangkong valley due to stand off between the armed police forces of Nagaland and Assam.
“Both sides agreed that in order to maintain peace and tranquility in the areas around Ao Senden village and Vikuto village as they are known in Nagaland and known as Jankhona Nala/Nagajankha and Compartment No 12 respectively in Assam, urgent and effective steps are required for defusing the standoff between the security forces of Nagaland and Assam,” a joint statement issued after the meeting said.
“In this regard, it is decided by both sides that the security personnel of both states shall simultaneously move back from their present locations to their respective base camps. The simultaneously withdrawal of the security personnel shall begin immediately and shall be completed in the next 24 hours as far as possible,” it said.
“Nagaland and Assam shall monitor the area by surveillance using UAV and satellite imagery with a view to maintaining the status quo. The Superintendents of Police of the districts of Mokokchung (Nagaland) and Jorhat (Assam) shall ensure orderly withdrawal of their respective forces and shall be responsible for it in the instant case,” it added.
Assam shares borders with Nagaland in five districts namely – Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat and Karbi Anglong. These areas have witnessed frequent clashes over border disputes in the past couple of decades.
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