Joy urges boundary commission
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 31 2022:
Picking holes with the recent statement of Chief Minister N Biren Singh that there is nothing sort of a boundary issue between Manipur and Nagaland, senior Congress leader O Joy has stated that a specific commission should be established to demarcate the boundary of all North East States and settle the common problem.
Speaking to media persons at Rishang Keishing Media Centre at Congress Bhavan today, O Joy continued that the remark of the Chief Minister could not be taken as true.
Saying that Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Tripura were separated from Assam after the passing of North East Reorganisation Act in December 1971, the Congress leader maintained that Manipur, however, was an independent State during that time.
Continuing that States which were separated from Assam haven't been demarcated properly till today, O Joy added that border issue is one such problem which creates disharmony among the different indigenous people of the region.
He also claimed that many people have died in the border issue between Assam and Meghalaya while 75 CRPF personnel were killed by Nagaland police in the Merapani incident of 1975.In such a scenario, the Chief Minister commenting easily that there is no land dispute between Manipur and Nagaland is a complete lie, O Joy maintained.
The North Eastern Regional Political Forum which was established while the regional parties were in powerful position in 1985-86 have agreed that the border issue is a common issue which besiege the region (North East), the Congress leader recalled and added that the then Chief Ministers who are members of the forum highlighted the problem to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
He then urged the Central Government to set up a specific border commission and demarcate all North Eastern States properly.