2 dead, 3 missing after firing along Assam-Arunachal border

Two people died while three others injured and three people are missing along the Assam Arunachal border in an attack while planting saplings in the bordering area to commemorate ‘World Environment Day’

Two people died while three others injured and three people are missing along the Assam Arunachal border in an attack while planting saplings in the bordering area to commemorate ‘World Environment Day’.

They were fired upon by identified miscreants.The incident took place in Assam Dhemaji district on Monday.

senior police officer who does not want to be named told ET, “The group was planting sapling when they came under fire from miscreants. One of the deceased is identified as Boga Chutia.”

Police officials said," Our team rushed to the spot on receiving the information. We are investigating the incident."

Following the incident there was a protest in Dhemaji. Assam Jatiya Yuva Chhatra Parishad (AJYCP) leader Ratul Borgohain said tension is prevailing in the area.The protestors also burned the effigy of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu while shouting slogans against him.

Assam education minister Ranoj Pegu who is MLA from the area tweeted, I strongly condemn the act of violence at the Panbari area of the Asam-Arunachal border in Dhemaji, where one person named Boga Chutia of Borbila Chutiakari village of my constituency has been killed, and 3 persons - Monitu Gogoi, Puspa Gogoi and Akoni Gohain of Milonpur village have been injured.”

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the incident will be thoroughly investigated by the police with the help of the district administration.

In April this year the Assam and the Arunachal Pradesh governments inked an agreement in presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah here to resolve their five decades old border disputes. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Arunachal Pradesh counterpart Pema Khandu signed the agreement in presence of union home minister Amit Shah.

Assam and Arunachal Pradesh share an 804.1-km-long border. The two states have been in discussions to resolve the border dispute with Sarma and Khandu signing the Namsai Declaration on July 15 last year wherein they had pledged to find a solution soon.

Officials said the two states decided to resolve the dispute in 123 villages. Sarma said the deal is a “big and successful” moment. Khandu described the deal as “historic”. As many as 12 regional committees were formed which visited different sites. Both the states had signed the Namsai Declaration' on July 15, 2022, following a discussion between Chief Minister Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma and his counterpart Chief Minister Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu.