Assam, Nagaland Agree To Withdraw Troops From Border Areas; CM Himanta Sarma Calls It ‘Breakthrough’

Sarma said that a meeting was held between Assam Chief Secretary Jishnu Barua and his Nagaland counterpart J. Alam in Dimapur.

Chief secretaries of Nagaland and Assam held a meeting on Saturday to discuss border dispute. (Photo: Twitter/@himantabiswa)

Guwahati: Asserting in a major breakthrough towards de-escalating tensions at Assam-Nagaland border, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said the Chief Secretaries of both states have arrived at an understanding to immediately withdraw the forces from border locations to their respective base camps.

“In a major breakthrough towards de-escalating tensions at Assam-Nagaland border, the two Chief Secretaries have arrived at an understanding to immediately withdraw states' forces from border locations to their respective base camps,” he tweeted and shared the minutes of the meeting held between the Chief Secretaries of both states.

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Sarma said that a meeting was held between Assam Chief Secretary Jishnu Barua and his Nagaland counterpart J. Alam in Dimapur.

He said the meeting was held with a view to de-escalating the tense situation prevailing in two locations in the Dessoi Valley Reserved Forest/Tsurankong Valley due to standoff between the armed police forces of the two states.

He added that both sides agreed that urgent and effective steps are required for defusing the standoff between the security forces of Assam and Nagaland in order to maintain peace and tranquillity in the areas around Ao Senden village and Vikuto village as they are known in Nagaland and known in Assam as Jankhona Nala/Nagajankha and Compartment No. 12.

Sarma said it is decided by both sides that the security personnel of both states shall simultaneously move back from their present locations to their respective base camps in the next 24 hours.

The Chief Minister further said both sides during the meeting also attended by Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Y. Patton and Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu decided to monitor the area by surveillance using UAV and satellite imagery with a view to maintain the status quo.

He added the Superintendents of Police of the districts of Mokokchung, Nagaland, and Assam’s Jorhat shall ensure orderly withdrawal of their respective forces and shall be responsible for it in instant case.