Arunachal’s Phinbiro Village Hits Back at Assam’s Lekhapani Forest Officials Over Territorial Disputes

Tensions have escalated in Phinbiro, a village in Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang district, where villagers have accused Assam’s Lekhapani Forest Range under the Digboi Forest Division of repeatedly harassing them and disrupting their daily lives.

At a press conference held on Monday, residents of Phinbiro, which lies in the Manmao-Jairampur Tehsil, voiced strong objections to what they described as an ongoing campaign of intimidation by Assam forest officials. Despite the village falling within Arunachal Pradesh’s jurisdiction, the Lekhapani Forest Range has continued to claim it as part of Assam’s reserved forest area, a stance that has sparked significant unrest.

Villagers, particularly members of the Tangsa tribal community, have been subjected to regular obstructions while traveling to the hills for farming, with forest personnel allegedly blocking roads and issuing threats. The situation has also affected the free movement of goods and passenger vehicles along the key Lekhapani-Bomgara road, which connects both states.

In a particularly disturbing incident, forest officials recently seized several vehicles from a local betel nut processing unit, even though the business held all the necessary permits from the Arunachal Pradesh government. This action has fueled widespread anger, with locals accusing Assam forest officials of exploiting the situation for personal gain, alleging illegal commissions and territorial control.

The villagers have made a clear call for both the Assam and Arunachal Pradesh governments to swiftly resolve the ongoing boundary dispute. They warned that if the harassment continues, it could lead to serious confrontations between the local community and forest officials in the future, further straining relations between the two states.

The escalating tensions underscore the urgent need for dialogue and resolution between the neighbouring states, before the situation deteriorates further.

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