Border Disputes in North-Eastern India

One of the most interesting things about the north-eastern states of India is its diversity along with the unity that exists in these states. But it needs also to be noted that there even exists inter-state conflicts between these states up to a certain extent. The subject of inter-state conflict is not a new one. The issue related to the area distribution, resource distribution and many other matters have been existing for decades. The issues have been pertaining even from the time of the British rule in the country. It is not only the north-eastern states of India who have been engaged in the inter-state conflict but in between various other states as well. 

The north-eastern states of India comprises eight states namely, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura. These are usually termed as ‘Seven Sisters and Sikkim is the eighth state. The most recent addition in the family of these sister states has been Sikkim. Out of these eight sister states four states were carved out from the state of Assam after independence. 

Before the carving out of the states from Assam it was Arunachal Pradesh that was known earlier as the north-east frontier. Arunachal Pradesh was made a fully fledged state in the year 1987. It is known that the maximum number of casualties that has taken place during the inter-state conflicts in between the seven states has been in between the states of Assam and Nagaland. It has been known that the prime reason for the occurrence of the inter-state conflicts in the north east region has been the uneven division of state territories and the resources between them.

The interstate conflicts have also made the police forces of the respective states as the rival forces when clashing between each other. It was noted that the firing between Mizoram and Assam police had taken place that killed a civilian and injured 41 of them. The activity took place at Cachar district of South Assam and in Kolasib district of Mizoram.

Various commissions have been formed to solve the conflicts but no outcome has come out. For instance, between Assam and Meghalaya, the latter state had declined to agree on the recommendations of the report presented by the Justice Chandrachud Committee. Assam had accepted the recommendation but Meghalaya had declined it. In 2014, it was Assam that had disagreed with the three member committee formed by the Top Court of India. The inter-state conflict this time was pertaining between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The committee formed by the Supreme Court of India to solve the inter-state conflict between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh had suggested handing over about 80% of the conflicted land to Arunachal Pradesh. It was suggested in the report in the year of 2014. Also, there was an inter-state conflict between the states of Assam and Nagaland. To solve the inter-state conflict between these two states, the centre had commissioned two committees. In the year 1971 for the first time the committee was formed to solve the inter-state conflict between these two states. It was the Sundaram Commission that was formed in the year of 1971. After a gap of fourteen years it was again for the second time the centre had to form a committee two solve the disputes between the two states. It was the Shastri Commission in the year 1985. But the suggestions given by both these committees were rejected by the state of Assam as well as by the state of Nagaland. 

Conclusion

There persist disputes between various states of India, not only in the seven states of north-east. The inter-state conflict between the north-eastern states of the country had even brought the clashes between rival police forces of the respective states. Various committees have been formed to solve this problem but many times one or the other states disagrees on the suggestions of the committee and at times it has happened that both the dispute-bearing  states have agreed to disagree.