awesome post by sir Ige Tao Assam- Arunachal boundary row Dear Editor! The news item on 1st March 2014 of your paper at p-4 with the headline “Assam students seek amicable solution to boundary row” was quite attractive till the second paragraph. But right after the second paragraph there is lot of blunder and misguiding statements from the AASU. I believe that AASU is one of the most matured student organization not only in Assam but in the entire north-eastern states. The AASU could have played more vital role for amicable solution to the vexed boundary problem if they could have really gone through the ground facts of the boundary issues. If they have been going through the ground realities at the Assam- Arunachal boundaries then they could have never alleged that Arunachali people have occupied a large portion of Assam land in the northern Dhemaji district. It is not the Arunacahali people who are occupying the Assam land rather it is the Assam people backed by their administration, police and various organizations who are intruding deep into the Arunachal boundaries and occupying our land at places like Durpai, Uli, Kamcham, Kangku,Migmang, Hime, Rate, Torajan and Likabali . The Assam people are acting as if like we the hill people have no right to live in plains at the foothills. The history tells that the plains of the foothills were never occupied by the Assam people or anyone else till our Arunachal tribes migrated from the hills and started to live in plains of the Himalayan foothills. The migration has been a natural thing all over the world in the human races from the geographical time immemorial. The one who started to occupy and settle first at any region in any part of the world became the owner of that particular area. So was the case of hill tribes of Arunachal who migrated from the hills and occupied large areas of Himalayan plains at the foothills when no plain people migrated to that virgin land. The Mishings of Assam were our brothers who migrated along with us from the hills and scattered in many areas of Himalayan plains near the foothills. They occupied large portions of plains which now fall under the Dhemaji district of Assam. There is still a PEGU PUKURI (POND) in Jengging under Upper Siang district of A.P. The plain people started to migrate towards the foothill plains only after the 1960’s. The history itself is a proof of our authority over the land, most portions of which are now forcibly occupied by the Assam. The Arunachal tribes living in the foothills were paid taxes by Ahom kingdom till the end of their rule in 1824 for appeasing them in the boundaries which was continued by the Britishers as Posa system till 1945. The main turning point of disputes in the boundary history was the Bordolio Commission of 1951 which transferred large areas of our land into the Assam territory without any knowledge and consent from the owners. Before this commission we enjoyed the land rights and most portion of the land which is under the Assam now were recognized as our tribal land. Today the Assam Govt. is even encouraging the refugees like Bangladeshis and all to settle in the encroached portion of our land. The Govt. of India Act 1914 recognized the boundary of then Frontier tract from Akajan which is 12 km away from the Likabali town. There was a NEFA gate at Akajan which is now totally under the control of Dhemaji district in Assam. In the gate it was written “NEFA begins from here” which was destroyed in 2011 and a dedication to the BRO staff has been erected thereafter. The first time national flag hoisting in Arunachal Pradesh (the then Frontier Tract) was hoisted by Lt.Moji Riba and Lt. Mojii Riba at Dipa Lire in 1947 which is now occupied by the Assam and renamed as Somkong village under Jonai Sub- Division,Dhemaji Dist.,Assam. There are many Arunachali tribes with surname Riba, Basar etc who are now living along with the Mishing community in that area. The Pale- Leku village under Sisiborgaon sub- division is another example of Assam forcible occupation of Arunacahal land where still the Arunachali tribes resides.The Hilika village now under Dhemaji district was also once a portion of the then Frontier Tract which still comprises of many Arunachali families. The illegal and forcible occupation of the Mopin ground of Likabali Township by the Assam police since the last celebration of Mopin in 1995 is a great shame for us. Now the Likabali Mopin ground is filled with arms and ammunitions of the 22nd Assam Police IRBN HQ established just few years back. An irony or an interesting fact about the address location of police headquarter is that it is written as HQ of 22nd Assam Police IRBN, Likabali, Dhemaji district, Assam. I fail to understand how there can be two forms of Likabali whereas Likabali name itself signifies the originality of the tribal land. Likabali name has been historically derived from the local Arunachali names of two streams Lika and Bali which both are located in present Lika village and Bali village of Likabali under West Siang district,A.P. So the question of Assam Likabali is illogical and unjustified as the name itself is an Arunacahali local name. Likewise, the question of another Assam Pale,Hime,Torajan,Mingmang,Durpai etc never arises as the village names itself are historical and local from the time immemorial of Arunachal Pradesh. It is a great matter of thought and shame for we the Arunachal people that why are we always ready to suffer under the dominance of Assam in fear of Road blockade or Economic blockade? Are there no any other solutions other than fearing for National Highway Blockade by our counterpart? Is the Arunachal Govt. being a part and parcel of India not ready to take up the issue and fight in the centre? Is the Govt. of Arunachal not willing to bring a permanent solution to the problem being faced by the entire state due to boundary issues? The Govt. of Arunachal should take serious steps like construction of Highways directly connecting all the districts of Arunachal with the capital complex without touching even an inch of Assam land. The state should pressure the centre to open international cross border trades with Bhutan, Myanmar and if necessary even with China also. The state should create small airports directly connecting Delhi which should provide minimal fare travel to Arunachalis. If these three steps are taken up in future then its sure that not a single inch of Arunachal Land will be occupied by the Assam as there would be no guts pushing them ahead. Yours, Igo Tao, Likabali
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 12:54:12 +0000
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