ITANAGAR : The Arunachal Indigenous Tribes Forum (AITF), a conglomeration of apex community-based organisations representing the indigenous tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, has condemned the firing incident along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh inter-state boundary that reportedly left at least 18 villagers injured on Monday.
In a statement, the AITF expressed anguish over the reported firing and injuries, irrespective of the circumstances leading to the incident. It welcomed the intervention of the Directors General of Police (DGPs) of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, who remained in contact following the incident, and the deployment of reinforcements to the affected area to prevent further escalation and restore normalcy.
According to local sources and ground reports cited by the AITF, a group of people from Assam had allegedly entered the Hime village area of Arunachal Pradesh in connection with land-boundary demarcation without mutual consent. Local residents reportedly objected to the activity, following which tensions escalated.
The AITF noted that the Hime-Mingmang area has remained sensitive due to the longstanding Assam-Arunachal boundary dispute. It pointed out that the two states have agreed on mechanisms to resolve several disputed areas through dialogue, including realignment and settlement of villages in accordance with the Namsai Declaration.
The forum also expressed concern over reports of a proposed road and economic blockade against Arunachal Pradesh following the incident, describing such measures as “uncalled for”. It said innocent people, particularly those requiring medical care and those travelling for time-bound official and private work, could suffer as a result.
The AITF appealed to residents on both sides of the inter-state boundary to exercise utmost restraint and work towards restoring peace and communal harmony. It also urged people not to circulate unverified information or take the law into their own hands.
The forum stressed that violence would only cause suffering and called upon the people of both neighbouring states to uphold their longstanding spirit of bonhomie, brotherhood and peaceful coexistence.
