Border row: Jt team conducts spot assessment
Border fencing to be relooked if Myanmar unyielded : Shambhu
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Moreh, December 07 2013 : As directed by Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Sindhe, a joint team comprising officials from Ministry of Home Affairs, Surveyor General of India, BRO officials, representatives of Government of Manipur and political parties visited Moreh today to make an assessment of the border fencing being constructed along the yet to be demarcated Indo-Myanmar International boundary.

The joint inspection team which was led by Deputy Chief Minister of Manipur Gaikhangam, who is also in charge of Home, also included Joint Secretary (Northeast in-charge) of Ministry of Home Shambu Singh; Joint Secretary (Border Management) SK Mishra; Director of Suveryor General of India (SOI) Srinivas; KK Das Sarkar of SOI, Chief Engineer of BRO Sewak Project VK Agarwal.

Talking to media after inspecting Border pillar no.23 at Holanphai Village, BP 77, 21 near Tamil Sangam, BP 79 Muslim Basti, BP 80 at Govajang village, Shambu Singh said that the Ministry will call on Myanmar to resolve the current Indo-Myanmar border row at Moreh in Chandel district through diplomatic level.

The Union Government will invite Myanmar for a bilateral meeting at the end of this month or the first week of next year, he disclosed.

Further speaking to media persons, Shambu Singh observed that the current border issue can be divided in two sections, one the fencing dividing villages and the other confusion over the exact location of the border pillars which is causing uneasy atmosphere.

"We have to go by what had been agreed upon long ago or if the outcome it is not positive we will raise the issue at bilateral level to relook the trial", Shambu added.

Terming the issue as more complicated in comparison to that of the Indo-Bangla and Indo-Pakistan, he claimed that a series of meetings had been held with regard to settlement of the issue and had invited the Myanmar authority in these meetings.

But the problem is that none of the competent authority of Myanmar came forward for the reasons best known to them, he said.

"We have to adopt give and take policy", Sambhu said, adding that in order to reach to a compromise solution both the nations must understand each other's problems.

"We have to accept some and give some", he further added. The issue needs to be addressed at the bilateral manner with both the nations coming to a table as Myanmar is a friendly neighbour, the Union Home Ministry official said.

Shambu went on to day that for this, the Indian side will call on the Myanmar Government and raised relevant issues pertaining to the current border row including reports of alleged intimidation and disturbances in the process.

If need be the Government of India will persuade the Myanmar to conduct a joint resurvey of "Zero" point, concluded the Joint Secretary (Northeast in-charge) of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Attributing the current outcome (inspection of central official team) was the sincere initiative of the joint political party led by the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam, expressed appreciation towards the Government of India and hope that it will yield positive results.

Further he expressed optimism that the Government of India will settle the issue to the expectation of the people.

Gaikhangam appealed to the general public, security forces and other agencies to be more responsive in informing the authority concerned in the event of any incidents that could affect the interest of the Nation.

At the same time, he urged the law enforcing agencies including the Assam Rifles, the State Forces etc, to be more alert.

During the inspection, members of Committee on Protection of Land in Border Fencing (CPLBF) Manipur and ICHAM jointly submitted a memorandum to visiting officials.

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