The Manipur unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday maintained that the ‘Joint Border Commission’ which was established to carry out Indo-Burma border demarcation has violated the principle of the Indo-Burma boundary agreement signed in Rangoon in 1967 by erecting pillar no 81 at wrong location.
Also read: Manipur: Tension brews over pillar ‘shifting’ into Indian territory
Interacting with the media at Kakwa in Imphal West district of Manipur on Saturday, BJP, Manipur unit spokesperson, O Joy claimed as per the agreement, pillar no 81 (earlier pillar no 18) is supposed to be erected on the right bank of the Manjet Lok river, that is towards the side of Burma, but unfortunately it has been erected on the left side of the bank.
He asserted that the preamble of the agreement states that ‘firmly believing that the formal delimitation and demarcation of the entire traditional boundary between the two countries will strengthen the friendly relations.’
“We also need to look up at our history as reference, in the true meaning of entire traditional boundary,” he added.
During the border demarcation of 1894, the boundary commission had mentioned the longitudes and latitudes to make it a clear cut boundary.
Joy further questioned that why then the longitudes and latitudes were not used by the join border commission during the 1967 demarcation.
He feared there might be some hidden agenda behind the entire exercise.
He also said that he had met the State Governor earlier on Friday regarding the issue and that the Governor had assured to take up the matter with the Union Minister of External Affairs.