Assam-Arunachal border talks to intensify, says AGP chief Atul Bora
Synopsis
Two years after a landmark MoU signed in front of PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh are gearing up for a fresh round of talks on their remaining border disputes. AGP chief Atul Bora says the spirit of cooperation is intact — but the harder, unresolved stretches of the 123-village boundary still await a settlement.
Key Takeaways
Atul Bora , Assam Minister and AGP President, on 16 June said Assam and Arunachal Pradesh will intensify talks on remaining inter-state border disputes.
Both states signed a historic MoU in April 2023 in the presence of PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah , covering a majority of contested areas.
The MoU followed committee recommendations on competing claims over 123 villages along the boundary.
The dispute originates from differing interpretations of the boundary set when the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) became Arunachal Pradesh .
Both governments have described the process as a model for resolving inter-state disputes through dialogue rather than litigation.
Assam Minister and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) President Atul Bora on Tuesday, 16 June said that Assam and Arunachal Pradesh would deepen dialogue to resolve outstanding inter-state boundary disputes, pointing to substantial progress already achieved in recent years. Bora made the remarks while speaking to reporters in Guwahati.
What Bora Said
'Our objective is to discuss the pending matters and move forward together. Several contentious points have already been resolved, but some issues remain, and these will have to be discussed further,' Bora said. He added that both state governments are committed to carrying the process forward in a positive spirit, and that work has already commenced in several areas where disputes have been defused.
Bora also stressed the need for both neighbouring states to collaborate on development and administrative challenges in border areas, while exploring fresh avenues of cooperation for communities living along the inter-state boundary.
Background: The April 2023 MoU
The remarks build on a landmark agreement signed in April 2023, when Assam and Arunachal Pradesh inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to resolve disputes over a majority of identified contested areas. The MoU followed recommendations from regional committees set up by both states to examine competing claims over 123 villages along the boundary.
Since that signing, both governments have repeatedly described the settlement process as a replicable model for resolving inter-state disputes through negotiation rather than litigation.
Roots of the Dispute
The border dispute traces its origins to differing interpretations of the boundary demarcated following the notification of the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA), which later became Arunachal Pradesh. Over the decades, competing territorial claims have periodically fuelled tensions among communities in the border regions.
What Comes Next
Bora expressed confidence that the cooperative spirit between the two states would ultimately yield an amicable resolution to the remaining issues. Further rounds of discussion are expected, though no specific timeline has been announced. Both state governments are widely seen as having moved away from adversarial posturing toward a structured dialogue framework — a shift observers note could set a precedent for other unresolved inter-state boundary disputes in the Northeast.
Point of View
More politically sensitive stretches. Bora's optimism is notable, but the absence of any announced timeline for the next round of talks suggests the two states are still calibrating how much political capital to spend on the residual cases. The broader question is whether this dialogue model can survive electoral cycles in both states — past inter-state boundary agreements in the Northeast have a mixed record of outlasting the governments that signed them.
NationPress
5 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border dispute?
The dispute stems from differing interpretations of the boundary demarcated when the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) became Arunachal Pradesh. Competing territorial claims over 123 villages along the inter-state boundary have periodically caused tensions between communities on both sides.
What was the April 2023 MoU between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh?
In April 2023, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the presence of PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to resolve disputes in a majority of identified contested areas. The agreement was based on recommendations from regional committees constituted by both states.
What did Atul Bora say about the border talks on 16 June?
AGP President and Assam Minister Atul Bora said both states would continue and intensify discussions on remaining boundary issues, expressing confidence that the cooperative spirit between the two governments would lead to an amicable resolution. He noted that several contentious points have already been settled.
How many villages are at the centre of the Assam-Arunachal border dispute?
Regional committees from both states examined competing claims over 123 villages along the inter-state boundary, and their recommendations formed the basis of the April 2023 MoU.
Why is the Assam-Arunachal dialogue considered a model?
Both state governments have described the settlement process as a replicable model for resolving inter-state disputes through negotiation rather than litigation, given the progress made in defusing disputes across multiple contested areas without court intervention.
