As the temporary suspension of the Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK) economic blockade against Arunachal Pradesh enters a delicate phase, senior Arunachal journalist Bengia Ajum has challenged the dominant narrative surrounding the August 10 violence, calling it a localised village-level land dispute. Speaking exclusively to The Sunday Guardian, Ajum said the incident took place inside Arunachal Pradesh territory and should not have escalated into an inter-state confrontation. “The incident took place in Hime village. Hime is inside Arunachal. You can check the Namsai Declaration signed by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Arunachal Chief Minister Pema Khandu. It is clearly mentioned that Hime is in Arunachal Pradesh,” Ajum said. “Despite that clarity, groups from Dhemaji claim Hime as theirs.
On August 10, they entered 3 km inside Arunachal territory, attempted to burn houses and triggered this entire confrontation. That is the root of the problem.” Ajum, who visited Hime village a day earlier, said four people were injured on the Arunachal side compared with 11 on the Assam side. He said residents were angry that no senior Arunachal official, minister or local MLA had visited affected families, while Assam ministers Ranoj Pegu and Atul Bora had toured their side. A female village head, or Gaon Buri, was allegedly abducted during the clash, handed over to Assam Police and kept in a Dibrugarh hospital.
Her family was initially denied access. The TMPK, the apex student body of Assam’s Mising community, launched an indefinite road and economic blockade on August 12, choking key entry points and disrupting national highway traffic. Following talks with Assam ministers and civil society groups from Arunachal, including Galo and Adi organisations, the blockade was temporarily suspended on August 14. TMPK has given a 48- hour window for the arrest of four named persons — Nirak Ngomle, Taji Nika, Koter Nake and Kamli Nake — and warned that the stir will resume if the arrests are not made. The Arunachal side has simultaneously demanded action against 12 individuals named in FIRs lodged from its end.
Ajum criticised the collective nature of the blockade. “Usually, when clashes occur along the AssamArunachal boundary, they remain between neighbouring communities. We will resolve our differences and find a way forward. But here, because of one small incident between Hime and Bodooti, they are blocking the entire Arunachal. Is this fair? The highway does not belong to anyone. A national highway is an asset of the nation. Imposing a blanket blockade has caused immense anger among the people of Arunachal.” He warned that the situation could trigger dangerous reciprocal reactions. “Almost 30 to 40 per cent of the population living and working in Arunachal comes from Assam — government jobs, businesses.
People are beginning to talk about counter-blockades, refusing goods from Assam and telling residents to leave. If another economic blockade is enforced, it could lead to severe law and order problems.” However, Ajum did not blame entire communities for the violence. He said local Mising residents of the foothills have lived alongside Hime villagers for decades, with communities intermarrying and supporting one another financially.
