GUWAHATI, Nov 9 - Regular interaction with neighbouring states at different levels of administration is essential for ensuring peaceful atmosphere along the inter-state border areas. This is the view expressed by former Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna.
Talking to The Assam Tribune, Sanjay Krishna said that deputy commissioners and superintendents of police of bordering districts should interact with their counterparts regularly, while the chief secretaries of the states should also meet at regular intervals. He also suggested cultural and sports exchange programmes between the bordering states to improve relations.
The former Chief Secretary said that Assam should adopt an �accommodative attitude� with the neighbouring states without allowing any encroachment of the State�s land. He hoped that tensions along the border with Mizoram would be sorted out soon. He said that as soon as the trouble started, he had spoken to Mizoram Chief Secretary. He hoped that his successor Jishnu Baruah would be able to deal with the issue effectively.
Giving an account of the steps taken by him during his tenure as the Chief Secretary to improve ties with the neighbouring states, Sanjay Krishna said that a chief secretary-level meeting with Nagaland was held last month after a gap of seven years. The meeting was also attended by senior police officers and several key issues were discussed.
He said Nagaland accepted Assam�s proposal for joint patrolling in the vulnerable places along the inter-state border, which was a very positive development. The meeting also decided to arrange cultural and sports exchange programmes to improve relation between the people of both the states.
Similarly, a chief secretary-level meeting was held with Arunachal Pradesh after a long gap. He pointed out that a case is pending in the Supreme Court regarding Assam-Nagaland border dispute, but the state administrations can improve coordination to avoid tension in the border areas.
It may be mentioned here that the Chief Secretary is also the head of the strategy group of the Unified Command structure in place in Assam since the late 1990s to deal with militancy.
The former Chief Secretary said that the coordination between all the forces operating on the ground is very cordial and there have been instances during the movement against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act when the Army moved in to carry out flag march in parts of the State by accepting requests made with phone calls. This happened because of the cordial relations with the senior Army officers.
Commenting on the law and order situation, Sanjay Krishna said the overall situation improved considerably and the level of violence has come down. �But law and order is a dynamic subject and it depends on various issues, including political situation. With the election to the Bodoland Territorial Council approaching, the forces would have to be careful to ensure that the situation does not deteriorate and the elections are held peacefully,� he added.
