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Call to exert constant pressure on Govt

By Correspondent

DERGAON, April 6 � Development of the border areas is a primary condition for a permanent solution of the border issues.

The above was stated by noted journalist Prakash Mahanta, while addressing an open discussion titled �Chinta Aru Manthan� on the Assam-Nagaland border issue, organised by Golaghat Press Club and moderated by the secretary of Golaghat Press Club Diganta Bhuyan at Enajori Bibah Bhawan, on Sunday.

�As the disputes are common in nature in almost all the inter-State border areas, hence development is a key solution in order to adequately address the myriad problems. With the development of the remote areas, the residents will automatically get a chance to offer collective resistance towards any negative issues�, he stated.

The meeting adopted several resolutions. Among them, the Government was urged to take immediate steps to develop the border areas and to ensure security in the areas by setting up task forces. The meeting also decided to hold an open discussion on the topic at Guwahati at an early date. The meeting further urged the Government to pursue the case filed in the Supreme Court.

The meeting also constituted a two-member sub-committee with Tapan Gogoi and Monoj Baruah to look into the matter. The other resolutions were to abide by the border map of 1925, a plea to the Government to upgrade the post of border magistrate to the rank of an ADC, to ensure maintainance of cordial relations along the border areas, to arrange early rehabilitation of the homeless people who were victims of the Uriamghat clashes, besides arranging adequate security by the district administration, and to take steps to trace out the missing students of Uriamghat.

The meeting also constituted a committee named Assam-Nagaland Simanta Surakhya Samiti with Adip Phukan, Devojit Phukan, Dilip Chandan, Dwipen Dutta and Diganta Bhuyan.

Seeking timely assistance of the police force, the journalist opined that the border police outposts (BOPs) should be developed at an early date. He also urged the meeting to arrange to hold an open discussion on the issue at Guwahati.

Taking part in the discussion, noted journalist Samudra Gupta Kashyap opined that the journalists cannot solve the problem, but they can keep the issue alive and make the public aware about the issue. He further urged all present to exert constant pressure on the Government to solve the problem.

Regarding the case filed in the Supreme Court by the Assam Government, the president of Golaghat Bar Association Durga Prasad Jaiswal stressed on pursuing the matter in such a way so as to elicit an early court verdict.

On the other hand, Adip Phukan opined that the earlier laws seems to favour the Nagaland Government in this connection.

Speaking on the occasion, the Executive Editor of The Assam Tribune, Prasanta Jyoti Baruah opined that an early solution of the vexed border problem is the need of the hour. In order to withstand occasional pressure tactics resorted to by the people from Nagaland, the local residents should develop methods of collective self-resistance so as to fend off any immediate threat, as it always requires considerable time for help from outside to arrive at the place of actual occurance of an untoward incident�, he added.

Regarding development in the border areas, the Resident Editor of Dainik Janambhumi, Arun Kumar Das opined that we all have to change our mindset in order to go forward. Delivering his speech, AASU general secretary Tapan Gogoi said that the border issue should be resolved based on the agreement signed in 1925.

At the outset, the adviser of Golaghat Press Club as well as a senior journalist of the border town, Dwipen Dutta shed light on the vexed issue from a practical viewpoint. The president of Golaghat Press Club, Apurba Ballav Goswami delivered his welcome address as Devojit Phukan narrated the border issue with the help of a slide projector.

The meeting was also attended by the Editor of Asam Bani, Dilip Chandan, besides Anupam Chakraborty, Sanjib Phukan, Pranab Bora, Keshab Saikia and Monoj Barua along with representatives of DY365, Newslive, AASU, AJYCP, Journalists� Association of Golaghat, Dergaon, Bokakhat, Kamargaon, Merapani and Golaghat Bar Association.

The meeting was also attended by the villagers of the border areas.

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