Durpai Villagers Oppose Land Inclusion in Assam, Urge Officials to Revisit Site

The residents of Durpai in Lower Siang District, Arunachal Pradesh, are against the inclusion of their land in Assam due to ongoing border issues. They have called for members of the Regional Committee of both states to physically visit the village to gain a better understanding of the situation.

The Goan Burah of Durpai, Tari Nyicyor, criticised the last inspection conducted by the Regional Committee, stating that officials failed to inform the villagers and only submitted a report based on their own observations without seeking input from the actual affected parties.

Residents of Durpai village in Lower Siang District have voiced their opposition to the possible inclusion of Arunachal land in Assam, citing concerns over ongoing boundary issues. The villagers have called for members of the Regional Committee of both states to physically visit the area to get a better understanding of the situation. The villagers have also expressed concern over reports that Assam is seeking 60 square kilometers of land, including land in Durpai village, which they say is not acceptable.

The head of the village, Tari Nyicyor, described how the village was established in 1943, but due to earthquakes and other natural disasters, they had to abandon some of the land they used for irrigation and cultivation. He has called for the chief ministers and MLAs of both Assam and Arunachal to visit the area to find a mutually acceptable solution.

The villagers are worried that their ancestral land and community areas will be taken away if reports of Assam’s demand for 60 Sq Km of Arunachal’s land are true. They assert that the area near Durpai village does not have a single structure or tree planted by Assam’s forest officials and therefore, cannot be claimed by Assam. The Gram Panchayat Chairperson of Durpai has called on the authorities of both Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to take back the proposal and follow the Namsai Declaration of “As it is, where it is”. The villagers have held a meeting and resolved to oppose the loss of 60 Sq Km of land from Durpai and will soon submit a memorandum to their local MLA about their resolution.

Source: Arunachal Observer