Just a day after signing of the Namsai declaration by the chief ministers of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has termed the signing of the declaration as a ‘historic’ step towards resolving the decades-old Assam-Arunachal border dispute.
Notably, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Arunachal Pradesh counterpart Pema Khandu, on Friday, had signed an agreement – the Namsai declaration – in a bid to resolve the border dispute between the two states.
The state governments of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have agreed to bring down the number of contested villages from 126 to 86.
“The signing of the Namsai declaration with Arunachal Pradesh was a historical step. We have already brought down the number of contested villages from 123 to 86,” Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Also read: Bid to resolve Assam-Arunachal decade-old border dispute, 2 states sign pact at Namsai
“Tt was found that 28 villages are not within Assam since the beginning but were 15 to 20 kilometres inside the constitutional boundary of Arunachal Pradesh,” the Assam CM added.
On the other hand, Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu had also termed the signing of the namsai declaration as a “hugely significant and a landmark progress”.
“Namsai declaration is hugely significant and a landmark progress towards enduring brotherhood, peace and prosperity in the Northeast,” Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu had said.
He added: “The border dispute between Arunachal and Assam was seven-decade old, but sadly no earlier governments showed the political will to resolve it.”