The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary– Nov 25, 2022; Day 377

Disquiet (A feeling of mild anxiety about possible developments) in the Northeast: On Assam-Meghalaya boundary dispute

Boundary disputes between States should be resolved quickly

On November 22, five villagers from Meghalaya and an Assam forest guard were killed and two others were seriously injured in a firing incident along the boundary between the two States. The Assam government said the incident happened after its forest guards tried to intercept (Seize on its way) a truck smuggling illegal timber. When the truck was stopped, the forest personnel were gheraoed (Protest by surrounding a building or person until demands are met) by unknown miscreants (A person without moral scruples) who resorted to violence, according to Assam, which maintains that the staff resorted to firing to save their lives. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said on Twitter that the Assam police and Assam forest guards entered Meghalaya and “resorted to unprovoked (Occurring without motivation or provocation) firing”. Versions differ and both States have instituted separate inquiries, but the mistrust and underlying (In the nature of something though not readily apparent) conflicts in the northeast that lead to such incidents are deeper. Assam and Meghalaya have a five-decade old boundary dispute. Meghalaya, carved out (to create or obtain something that helps you by skillful activities) of Assam as an autonomous region in 1970, became a full-fledged State in 1972. In March, Assam and Meghalaya resolved the boundary dispute at six out of total 12 such locations along their 884.9 km boundary, and the next round of talks was to take place soon. Though the latest flare-up (A sudden intense happening) did not arise out of this dispute, it happened along a disputed border stretch.

Assam has boundary disputes at various points in time with the States carved out of it — Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram. Last year, the police forces of Assam and Mizoram clashed, killing five on the Assam side. Dozens of people have died in conflicts along State borders in the northeast over the years. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had asked Assam to take the lead in resolving the lingering (Remain present although waning or gradually dying) disputes, which have their origins in the colonial cartography (The making of maps and charts) that overlooked the life patterns of local communities. Traditional hunting, grazing and farming grounds of communities got divided by modern administrative boundaries at many places. When new States were formed, such concerns acquired (Take on a certain form, attribute, or aspect) a more serious nature, and the Naga demand for a unified homeland that is now spread beyond the State of Nagaland is instructive (Serving to instruct, enlighten or inform). It is unfortunate and tragic that States that are part of the Indian Union are involved in violent clashes with one another. The BJP is in government in much of the northeast and has the leverage (Strategic advantage; power to act effectively) to aim for a comprehensive resolution of all outstanding disputes in the region. Communities will have to be taken into confidence, and boundaries adjusted. In any case, these man-made lines should not be allowed to restrict the movement of people in pursuit of a livelihood.

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