Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has reiterated his government’s commitment to resolving the long-standing boundary dispute in Changlang district with Assam.

Speaking in the Assembly on Wednesday, Khandu assured that the state would soon engage with Assam to settle the issue, which was left out of previous settlement agreements.

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The dispute over Changlang was notably excluded from the 2022 Namsai Declaration, which aimed to reduce the number of disputed villages along the Assam-Arunachal border from 123 to 86.

According to Khandu, this omission occurred because the Regional Committee for Changlang failed to submit its report to the Supreme Court-appointed Local Commission.

Raising the issue in the Assembly, Independent MLA Laisam Simai expressed his concerns about the committee’s inaction since its formation in June 2022.

Simai noted that the lack of progress was primarily due to Assam’s opposition, as the state referenced the 2014 Local Commission report, which did not identify any disputed villages in Changlang. This stance resulted in Changlang being excluded from boundary negotiations.

The Assam-Arunachal border dispute dates back to 1972 when Arunachal Pradesh became a Union Territory. Arunachal has long claimed that certain forested areas, historically inhabited by tribal communities, were unilaterally transferred to Assam.

Although a tripartite recommendation in 1987 suggested reassigning some territories back to Arunachal, Assam resisted the proposal, leading to prolonged litigation before the Supreme Court.

Over the decades, the conflict has strained relations between the two neighboring states, resulting in sporadic tensions and administrative challenges. The most significant step toward resolution came in 2022 with the signing of the Namsai Declaration, which managed to resolve disputes in five districts.

Talks in six other districts—Pakke Kessang, Papum Pare, Kamle, Lower Siang, Lower Dibang Valley, and Longding—are in advanced stages, with joint inspections agreed upon during a meeting in September 2024.