JORHAT, Aug 24 � The disputed Assam-Nagaland border has remained tense time to time during the last few decades. Yet the two sectors (E and F sectors) of the inter-State border areas in Jorhat district have remained without a border magistrate for the last 12 years.
At a moment when the people of the neighbouring districts have encroached a large portion of Assam�s land in the border areas, the lack of border magistrates in the Chief Minister�s home district has indicated the utter negligence of the home department of the present government towards the burning border dispute.
Though an office and a quarter of the border Magistrate were established at Titabar near Assam-Nagaland border in 1997 spending Rs 8.5 lakhs, it remained unused since its completion. Sometimes, the government of Assam entrusted the responsibility temporarily to some officials as the in-charge, but no effort was taken by the government to appoint a permanent border magistrate in the district till date. There is no border magistrate, even an in-charge on duty at present in both E and F sectors.
The border in the district, which is 101 km in length falls under four Police Stations, namely Titabor, Borhola, Teok and Mariani and there are as many as 13 border outposts, namely Panikhaiti, Bekajan, Gorajan, Gahorichowa, Bandar Chaliha, Kheremiya, New Panikhaiti, Rajabari, Gabharu, Disoi Valley, Chutiabari, New-Chungtia and New Sonowal. The people of Nagaland have encroached the whole disputed bordering areas of Assam by and large and made permanent settlement there. Sometimes tension prevails between the local people of Assam near the border and Naga encroachers due to various disputes. There are ample evidences of threatening the local entrepreneurs by the armed militants of the neighbouring district in those areas in earlier times. In such a situation, it is an astonishing fact how the interstate border is going on without a permanent border magistrate there since last 12 years.
The people in Assam along the border have to remain always under the shadow of uncertainty regarding their lives and property. As the posts of border magistrate meant for the development and protection of those people have remained vacant for a long time the sense of depression has permanently engulfed the mindset of the residents of border areas and there remains no path left for them except reconciling to their lot.
