157 people died, over 65K displaced in Assam border clashes since 1979: Rights body

GUWAHATI: Rights body Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) on Tuesday said at least 157 persons died while over 65,729 others were displaced in Assam’s border clashes with Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland from 1979 to July 26 this year.

In a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Chief Ministers of these states, RRAG director Suhas Chakma said the rising number of deaths called for permanent peace-building measures.

He said 136 deaths were reported from Assam-Nagaland border, 10 from Assam-Arunachal border, seven from Assam-Mizoram border and four from Assam-Meghalaya border.

“Altogether 361 persons were injured in the clashes – 184 of them on Assam-Nagaland border, 143 on Assam-Mizoram border, 18 on Assam-Meghalaya border and 16 on Assam-Arunachal border.

Chakma said the dispute between Assam and Mizoram intensified in 2018 and the injuries to 143 persons indicated the intensity of the clashes.

“The states usually approach the Supreme Court to resolve disputes but the demarcation of boundaries is an executive task. Therefore, the Supreme Court usually recommends the formation of boundary commissions. However, if any of the states does not accept the recommendations of the commissions, little progress can be made.” Chakma wrote in his letter.

He said in the past, the recommendations of boundary panels were consistently rejected. He said the issue was never the absence of technology and expertise to draw the boundaries of the states but the absence of a political will.

“Satellite mapping to demarcate boundaries and settle such disputes as being suggested by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) cannot manufacture the political will over claims on territories based on borders drawn by the colonial British as early as 1835,” Chakma said.

Asking the CMs to give up one-upmanship, the rights body recommended to the MHA and the state governments in question to maintain the status quo till the disputes were resolved.