Imkong Walling
There is a pattern to the long-running border dispute between Assam and Nagaland. Every once in a while, there are ceremonial displays of camaraderie and supposed reconciliation bids.
The latest occurred on September 19, when Sarupathar legislator Biswajit Phukan, and Bhandari legislator Achumbemo Kikon signed a joint statement advocating border peace and cooperation, and for establishing a Sarupathar-Bhandari Joint Peace and Coordination Committee consisting of government and civilian representation. Phukan also proposed a friendship summit in the Disputed Area Belt (DAB) between the Assam and Nagaland Chief Ministers accompanied by a ceremonial tree plantation drive.
Reconciliatory overtures, on the surface, seems like the most logical way forward in a conflict that dates back to Nagaland’s statehood in 1963. Whatever diplomacy the two sides have attempted over the years has not worked its magic, pointing to a far more deep-seated but unaddressed problem— mutual distrust.
Meeting over breakfast and organising border cultural fairs look good on the news. The joint statement signed by the two MLAs checks all the right boxes. The issue, however, is whether the overt display of warmth at the political level, and cultural exchanges, translates into real peace and security for the villagers who actually live in the problem area. Cultivating the stated goals requires building confidence first, without which the declaration would come to naught.
Untangling the dispute also demands a sobering down on both sides, or to put it another way— compromise. One side wants a settlement by the Supreme Court; the other prefers an out-of-court settlement. Meanwhile, both states have maintained unchanging positions, with each laying claim to the entire disputed territory for itself.
On a practical note, any one side getting all seems like an unlikely proposition. Coming to terms with reality is perhaps a wiser call. If a viable way forward is to be found, it lies in exploring implementable options and arriving at an honest compromise, albeit, with genuine consensus.
Reconciliation and compromise cannot happen when one party is expected to fall in line with the bullying tactics of the other. Peace and trust cannot take root when one throws its clout around on the ground, save on occasions when friendship fairs happen.
If Assam is serious about securing peace and friendship among the various communities, withdrawing its policing footprint, and halting unilateral oil explorations, from the DAB until a joint mechanism is agreed upon would make for a reasonable start.
If the Sarupathar-Bhandari Joint Peace and Coordination Committee is to achieve meaningful results, it must start by dismantling lingering misunderstandings and earning the trust of every stakeholder. Further, the scope of the committee must be expanded to include the entire DAB, extending from Niuland all the way to Mon.
Until both states do away with the superficial camaraderie, the dispute would remain exactly where it has sat for over six decades.
The writer is a Principal Correspondent at The Morung Express. Comments can be sent to imkongwalls@gmail.com
