Archive · 12 Aug 2026
Sarma urges Arunachal CM Khandu to probe border firing
Two neighboring states in India, called Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, share a long border.
Sometimes the two states disagree about who owns a piece of land.
Recently, some people from Arunachal Pradesh fired guns at people from Assam near the border, and 12 people got hurt.
The firing happened because of a fight over land that both states claim.
The leader of Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, said this was very sad and asked the leader of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu, to investigate and punish the people responsible.
Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have already solved most of their border problems, and only a few small areas are still being discussed.
The two leaders are talking to each other to make peace.
A student group also started a protest by stopping trade with Arunachal Pradesh to show they were upset.
The leader of Assam hopes the two communities, who are like brothers, will stay friendly.
He believes this problem will be a short one and will be solved soon.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma urged Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu to order an inquiry into the border firing, which injured 12 people.
Twelve people from Assam were injured after firing by miscreants from Arunachal Pradesh over a land encroachment dispute in Dhemaji district.
Sarma said most boundary disputes are settled and only five sectors remain, prompting his cabinet to reconstitute a regional committee to resolve them.
The Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK), the apex student body of the Mising community, launched an indefinite economic blockade against Arunachal Pradesh in protest.
Assam and Arunachal Pradesh share an 804.1-km border with around 1,200 dispute points; 71 of 123 claimed villages have been resolved under the Namsai Declaration and a 2023 MoU.
- Who
- Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who urged his Arunachal Pradesh counterpart Pema Khandu to act; 12 people from Assam were injured in the firing.
- What
- A border firing over a land encroachment dispute injured 12 people from Assam, prompting Sarma to call for an inquiry and punishment of those responsible.
- When
- The firing occurred on a Monday and Sarma made his appeal the following Wednesday, in August 2026.
- Where
- Along the inter-state border between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in Dhemaji district, Assam.
- Why
- A land encroachment dispute in an unsettled, disputed area triggered the firing; both states are continuing efforts to resolve their remaining border disputes.
Demand for action
Calls for restraint
Who is responsible for the firing
Demand for action
Assam says miscreants from Arunachal Pradesh fired indiscriminately at Assamese residents over a land encroachment dispute, injuring 12 people, and Sarma demands an inquiry and punishment of the culprits.
Calls for restraint
The clash happened in a disputed place that each state claims, where Arunachal Pradesh is claiming 858.91 sq km of land and disputes Assam's encroachment figures; the two states are still negotiating five unsettled sectors.
Economic blockade vs. brotherhood appeal
Demand for action
The Takam Mising Porin Kebang launched an indefinite economic blockade against Arunachal Pradesh to protest the firing and the injuries.
Calls for restraint
Sarma said the Mising and Adi communities are like brothers of the same lineage who will discuss and withdraw the blockade, calling the conflict a temporary setback that can be overcome.
- Injured
- 12 people from Assam
- Incident location
- Inter-state border in Dhemaji district, Assam
- Border length
- 804.1 km between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh
- Dispute points
- Around 1,200 along the border
- Land claims
- Assam says Arunachal Pradesh allegedly encroached 16,144.01 hectares; Arunachal Pradesh claims 858.91 sq km
- Namsai Declaration
- Signed July 15, 2022; differences over 71 of 123 claimed villages resolved, 52 pending
- Memorandum of understanding
- Signed April 20, 2023, in New Delhi
- Protest
- Indefinite economic blockade by the Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK)