Tension escalates along the Assam-Arunachal border after officials attempt to divide land in Tinsukia

A minor scuffle broke out between inhabitants of the Kolapothar area of Tinsukia after officials from Arunachal attempted to divide the land in Tinsukia, said sources on March 17. 

As per sources, a team of Arunachal Pradesh administrative officials arrived in the Kolapothar region on the evening of March 17 and made an attempt to split the land between the two states.

Following this, locals were furious and the residents of Kolapothar got into a verbal argument with the Arunachal government.

Upon receiving the information of the same, authorities in Tinsukia finally arrived at the scene and took charge of the situation.

Importantly, Kolapothar is a border region where locals of Assam have lived for the previous 40 years.

''Following the incident on March 17, the locals said that they would give their property to Arunachal if the border of the areas were formally established by the government. The inhabitants also said that if the government did not draw borders, fighting among those living in these regions would continue,'' the sources added.

They further said that officials from the two states have been conducting important discussions for a very long time in an effort to resolve the continuing border dispute.

The regional committees of the two states had a significant gathering in January of this year in Guwahati and they completed the final report which will be sent to centre. 

57 disputed villages in the surrounding areas have been the subject of discussions.