NORTH LAKHIMPUR, April 25 – The Arunachal Home Minister Tako Dabi participated in the inaugural ceremony of the auditorium of Post Graduate Training College, North Lakhimpur. A 1976 batch alumnus of that college , Home Minister Dabi inaugurated the hall, named after noted philanthropist late Debendra Nath Kakoti, constructed with the financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh provided by his wife Apoorva Kakoti.

In his speech Tako Dabi acknowledged the role played by the academicians from Assam in the early years of education in Arunachal Pradesh to bring the State on the education map of the country. He fondly recalled his days in PGT College, North Lakhimpur and paid tributes to all teachers of Assam who dedicated so much in bringing the light of education to then almost wild Arunachal Pradesh.

Other alumni of the college, Dr Zoram Begi, director, NERIST and Dr Tamo Reba, registrar, Rajeev Gandhi University, Doimukh also participated in that function as the guests of honour.

The principal of Moran College, Dr Anil Kumar Saikia participated in the function as the appointed speaker.

The retired principal of Lakhimpur Commerce College, Brajen Sharma Baruah delivered a biographical account of late Debendra Nath Kakoti in that meeting which was also attended by Rajvee Hussain, ADC, Lakhimpur, Dr. Bali Narayan Phookan and Maj. Nripen Phookan, both retired principals of Govt. College, Itanagar. The meeting was presided by Rekha Phookan, principal, PGT College and the function was anchored by Geeta Ayengiya.

Later the Arunachal Pradesh Home minister termed the anti-dam movement against the hydro-electrical power projects of his state in the plains of Assam as the result of an international conspiracy with an objective of making India resource strapped.

Speaking to the media in North Lakhimpur after participating in a public function on 10th April , Tako Dabi said international circles that did not want India to become energy efficient by tapping its natural resources had been behind such popular movements that were voicing opposition to the construction of mega dams like the one in Gerukamukh and Dibang valley. He ruled out any fear or downstream impact of those hydel projects by saying that maximum security standards had been maintained and observed in construction and there had been no such cases in India before as dams were functioning normally and safely in places like Himachal Pradesh.

Minister Dabi significantly said that all the states of the North East including Sikkim had to work together and initiate a single approach for the betterment and development of this region. He said that no state of the NE could develop without the support and cooperation of its neighbour. TheMinister also termed the regular boundary skirmishes with Assam as the result of forest department officials’ misadventures for frustration because of their transfer to those remote posts. He even asked the media not to term the boundary issues between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh as border disputes, because, Dabi said, “borders exist between two countries, not states within a country”.

He said that people should come inside Arunachal Pradesh from Assam side in the inter-state boundary if there was a good school, hospital or power facility and there was nothing wrong sharing the resources of a neighbouring state by the people of the other side. Minister Dabi also denied existence of any government office inside Assam and clarified that the 1979 status quo had still been maintained.

Importantly he said that common names of places on the either side of the boundary like Lekhabali, Chimen, Rajgarh, Lai Mekuri, Telam, Duloong etc had been creating problems. He also denied armed policing along the boundary with Assam by Arunachal. The Homeminister said armed posts of Arunachal Pradesh police at some places were meant for tracking down NDFB militants. He also admitted that SULFA was active beyond Siang valley, including the activities by Kachin Independent Army in Changlang district.

Dabi announced the policy of zero tolerance against the terrorists in his state and asked the Assam government for talks on the 22-meter strip between NH-52 and the railway track of NFR which had been the bone of contention between two states concerning boundaries.