On Friday, Vincent H. Pala, a Meghalaya Lok Sabha MP, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the interstate clashes in the rise.
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In his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he stated: “For reasons best known to the present BJP-led government of Assam, such conflicts have not only been on the rise but have also taken a much more aggressive turn.”
Seeking the PM’s intervention in establishing cordial relations between the neighbouring states, the former said, “I sincerely urge you to address this issue at the earliest. The progress of the region has long been fought for… and it would be a matter of great regret to let that wither away.”
For instance, the recent clashes along the Assam-Mizoram border, which took away six lives, have once again highlighted the region’s vulnerability to peace and stability, as pointed out by Vincent in the letter.
He states, “consequently, a sense of fear, insecurity and alarm is perceived among the residents of these border areas.”
Adding on to it, he says, “We have covered a long way in neutralising certain violent and disturbing threats to the peace of the region and such apprehension do not augur well for the progress that has been made.”
Boundary disputes with neighbouring states
Vincent noted that excluding the princely states of Tripura and Manipur, all other states in the northeast have a long boundary dispute with Assam.
This has also given rise to disputes over land, forest resources, and ethnic clashes over the years, he added.
Forums to resolve border issues
Meanwhile, the North East MPs Forum, of which Pala is the general secretary, has asked to adopt conciliatory steps to ensure peace and tranquility along the border to both Assam and Mizoram governments.
The forum appealed to the states to come together with the honorable aim of resolving the long-pending dispute over their borders.
The current developments on the Assam-Mizoram border have been a cause of great anguish and regret to the people of the northeast, it said.
A statement handed out by forum chairman Kiren Rijiju and its general secretary further elaborates:
“On behalf of the Members of Parliament from the northeast, we appeal to both the parties and governments to adopt conciliatory steps to ensure peace and tranquility along the border.”
“The loss of life and injury on both sides is shocking… and we wish to extend our condolences to the affected families,” it added.
