Assam asserts Arunachal firing took place on its land, seeks custody of four accused

The Assam government on August 13 said the firing that injured 12 people in Dhemaji district earlier this week took place within Assam and was not connected to any disputed stretch of the inter-state boundary.

Education Minister Ranoj Pegu said Assam Police had identified four people from Arunachal Pradesh as accused in the incident and sought their custody from the neighbouring state.

Pegu made the statement after meeting leaders of the Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK), which has been leading an indefinite economic blockade of Arunachal Pradesh since Wednesday. The meeting, held at the Dhemaji Circuit House, was also attended by Border Protection and Development Minister Atul Bora.

"As per information, four people from Arunachal Pradesh fired on people from Assam at Badati village of Mingmang panchayat in Dhemaji district. The incident did not take place in any disputed land, it was clearly Assam's territory as per our records," Pegu said.

He identified the accused as residents of Hime village in Arunachal Pradesh and said Assam Police had shared their names and addresses with their counterparts in the neighbouring state.

"Assam Police have provided the names and addresses of these four people to their Arunachal Pradesh counterparts and sought their custody. Assam Police will arrest them whenever they are found inside our state," Pegu said.

The TMPK has given the Arunachal Pradesh government 48 hours to arrest the four accused and hand them over to the Assam administration. It warned that the agitation would be intensified if the demand was not met.

TMPK president Tilak Doley described Thursday's meeting with the Assam government as positive and said the organisation's demands had been heard favourably.

"We have set a target of 48 hours to arrest the four accused in the firing incident. Otherwise, our agitation will intensify in the coming days," Doley said.

The student organisation also clarified that its protest was not directed at civil society organisations or residents of Arunachal Pradesh. Doley said the TMPK was in talks with groups including the Galo Welfare Society, Galo Students Union and Adi Students Union to prevent the situation from escalating.

The blockade began on Wednesday after the alleged firing at Badati village on Monday left 12 people from Assam injured. TMPK, along with Mising Mimag Kebang (MMK) and Takam Mising Mahila Kebang (TMMK), has blocked the movement of vehicles to and from Arunachal Pradesh at entry points, while allowing emergency services and school transport.

"Our only demand is to arrest the culprits. Till they are arrested, our agitation will continue," Doley said, adding that the organisation would decide later whether to continue with a road blockade or an economic blockade.

The TMPK was also scheduled to meet representatives of the Galo Welfare Society, Galo Students Union and a parent apex civil society organisation of Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday evening to discuss the situation.

Meanwhile, a fresh confrontation broke out between protesters from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh at Likabali in Silapathar on Thursday. Police from Arunachal Pradesh fired into the air to disperse the crowd. Pegu said the situation had since been brought under control by police from both states.

The Assam government has urged the TMPK and other organisations to call off the blockade, arguing that the actions of four individuals should not be used to target the entire state.

"Because of four accused persons, we should not blame the entire Arunachal Pradesh and all its people," Pegu said.

He added that the government would bear the medical expenses of those injured in the firing and provide them compensation.

Pegu said Assam would also raise the incident at the next chief minister-level or chief secretary-level meeting with Arunachal Pradesh and pursue the matter to a "logical conclusion".

The minister said the TMPK had also called for the resumption of talks to settle outstanding boundary issues between the two states. He said discussions had been stalled because of the assembly elections but were expected to resume following the formation of new district-level regional committees by the Assam cabinet on August 11.

Bora termed the firing "very unfortunate" and said the Assam government had strongly condemned it.

"We express our deep concern. The chief minister is also very worried about the developments," Bora said.

He said Assam Police had registered a case because the incident occurred on Assam's territory.

"This was a law and order problem that took place on Assam's land, and not related to the boundary dispute," he said.