Sonowal confident of resolving border rows with neighbouring states

Newly-installed Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday exuded confidence to resolve his state's decades-old border dispute with Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram through consultations and mutual acceptance.

"The northeastern region is a family. It (border dispute) is a family issue. We will resolve it through consultations and mutual acceptance as a family," Sonowal told IANS on the sidelines of the North Eastern Council (NEC) meeting here.

Assam has boundary disputes not only with Nagaland, but with other neighbouring states of Meghalaya, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh stretching over decades.

The boundary row between Assam, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh is still pending in the Supreme Court.

"We would soon start our discussion on this contentious issue with our neighbouring sister states but we need to move together to strengthen our potential so that we progress together," Sonowal said.

The four-decade-old boundary dispute between Meghalaya and Assam has witnessed a spate of unrest recently. The Meghalaya assembly had adopted a resolution urging the union government to constitute a commission to re-examine and redefine the inter-state boundary.

Meghalaya has 12 areas of difference on the boundary with Assam. However, the Assam assembly unanimously passed a resolution opposing the constitution of such a commission.

--IANS

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