Dimapur, January 24 (MExN): In an attempt to ease the ongoing border skirmishes and to instil confidence amongst the border living people of Alongtaki assembly constituency of Nagaland and Mariani Assembly Constituency of Assam, the elected public representatives of both the bordering constituencies, Dr. Benjongliba Aier and Rupjyoti Kurmi had an informal meeting at Mariani today at the residence of the Coordinator of the Border Peace Coordination Committee (Assam-Nagaland).
According to a press note from BPCC, the meeting assumes great significance as the constituencies witnessed border skirmishes for the past couple of years; the most prominent being reported in May 2013 where an innocent civilian was killed by unknown miscreants.
It prompted almost a “war like situation” between the people of Nagaland and Assam, BPCC said resulting in road blockades on the highways leading to Nagaland by its counterpart and imposition of a ban on all transactions with Assam by Ao Senden (Ao Hoho), the apex body of the Aos. The ban was later supported by other frontal Naga organisations and travel advisories were issued to the general public.
Due to the lack of coordinated efforts and unfortunate political interferences, the BPCC toiled almost six months to bring the involved parties to the negotiating table and established peaceful coexistence to date, it stated.
Several skirmishes were reported in the intervening period, it added.
According to BPCC, during the meeting both the public representatives discussed the foregoing issues in depth and vowed to educate the public of either side not to take laws in to their hands but to report any kind of situations to the authority/s concerned for peaceful redressal. They further expressed appreciation of the services being rendered continuously at the border belt by the BPCC since its inception in 2005.
Both the representative were of the opinion that certain sections of the society with vested interested who do not vouch for peaceful coexistence in this border area were behind all these as it is otherwise very peaceful, it added. In a significant statement after the meeting, Dr. Benjongliba Aier and Rupjyoti Kurmi announced that they will be Patrons in this proposed “Gabharoo Festivity-2016.”
Celebrations of the proposed Gabharoo Festivity-2016 is being contemplated to be extended to cover both Hills and Plains and this is expected to enhance the mission of peace committee, BPCC informed opining that Sports and Cultural assimilations of the bordering people are effective ways of peace coordination.
The Committee also noted that the maiden meeting of the legislators sends out a strong message to the bordering masses to live mutually with dignity and shun all sort of violence at all cost.
