Gaurav Gogoi slams Assam, Centre over 'failure' to resolve Nagaland border dispute

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi on June 30 accused the Assam and Central governments of failing to resolve the decades-old border dispute with Nagaland, alleging that encroachment on Assam's territory continues unchecked.

Speaking to reporters after visiting the Assam-Nagaland border in Mariani, which falls under his Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency, Gogoi claimed that the state's territorial boundary was being altered and questioned whether the BJP-led Assam government had effectively conceded land to Nagaland even before the Supreme Court delivers its verdict on the dispute.

"The people living along the border have been facing aggression from the Nagaland side for years. Unfortunately, the response of both the Assam and Central governments has been deeply unsatisfactory," Gogoi said.

Referring to interactions with local residents during his visit, the Congress MP alleged that people in the border villages continue to face repeated difficulties due to the unresolved dispute.

He further claimed that the Nagaland administration had itself admitted to constructing a bridge within Assam's territory in 2020.

"About a week ago, local residents from Assam went to clear roads near that bridge under the Job Card scheme, but they were prevented from doing so by people from the Nagaland side," Gogoi alleged.

Questioning the Assam government's stand, he asked whether the state had already surrendered part of its territory before the matter is adjudicated by the Supreme Court.

Gogoi asserted that the Congress would continue to safeguard the interests of Assam's people and extend cooperation to any effort aimed at protecting the state's territorial integrity.

Assam shares a 512.1-kilometre border with Nagaland, and the boundary dispute has persisted since Nagaland was carved out of Assam in 1963. The matter is currently pending before the Supreme Court.

According to information previously shared by the Assam government in the state Assembly, around 59,490.21 hectares of Assam's land are allegedly under encroachment by Nagaland, the highest among all neighbouring states.