Editor,
The recent Hime village (Arunachal Pradesh)-Bodoti (Assam) incident is deeply unfortunate and deserves univocal condemnation. In this modern world, no issue can and should be settled through violence or the shedding of blood. Dialogue, mutual understanding and peaceful negotiation are the only sustainable solutions to any dispute.
The land and boundary dispute between Arunachal and Assam is not a new issue. Several committees have been constituted over the years, and boundaries have been settled in many areas. However, some pockets still remain unresolved, and Hime-Bodoti is one such sensitive area along the Arunachal-Assam border.
The people of Likabali subdivision, and now, Lower Siang, have been witnessing border-related problems for several years. However, if I am not mistaken, our political leaders have not made any serious and sustained effort to permanently resolve these issues through meaningful engagement with their counterparts in Assam. During every election, politicians make promises to the people regarding the resolution of such problems, but once the elections are over, the issue often loses priority.
The most unfortunate aspect is that the ordinary people living along the border are the ones who suffer the most. The economically weaker communities on both sides depend on each other for their livelihood. They have lived as neighbours for generations, shared resources, helped each other in difficult times and maintained social and economic relationships, irrespective of the political boundary.
Unfortunately, at times, people with vested interests - including greedy businessmen and politically motivated individuals - exploit local sentiments and provoke people against one another, turning longstanding local disputes into serious boundary conflicts. The common people should not be made victims of such people with vested interests.
There is an immediate need for high-level dialogue involving the governments, elected representatives, local administrations and, most importantly, the affected communities. Such negotiations must be conducted with sincerity, maturity and a genuine desire to find a permanent solution - not with the intention of gaining political mileage or personal benefits.
In boundary disputes, there cannot always be a winner and a loser. There has to be a spirit of give and take. Sometimes, one side may have to make a compromise or accept a position that may not fully satisfy it. Such compromises are not signs of weakness; rather, they are signs of maturity when they are made for lasting peace, harmony and the greater good of humanity.
The people of Arunachal and Assam have been living together since time immemorial. Our cultural, social and economic relationships are much older than the modern administrative boundaries that divide us. Therefore, neither side should attempt to establish supremacy over the other.
Let us keep our egos aside. Let us stop treating our neighbours as enemies. Let us choose dialogue over confrontation, understanding over provocation, and peace over violence.
The Arunachal-Assam boundary issue deserves a permanent, peaceful and mutually acceptable solution, so that generations to come do not inherit the same disputes.
Peace on the border is not a victory for Arunachal or Assam - it is a victory for both, and ultimately a victory for India.
Gonya Riba
