The governments of Assam and Nagaland have agreed to increase coordination between the police forces of both the States to deal with crimes and disturbance along with the inter-State border areas.

Key Points:

=> After a gap of six years, teams of senior officers of Assam and Nagaland headed by Chief Secretaries of both the States met at Dimapur

=> However, several positives came out of the discussion, and the Nagaland officials accepted the proposal of Assam for joint patrolling along with the vulnerable areas along the inter-State border.

=> At present, police forces of Assam and Nagaland as well as the personnel of neutral forces carry out patrolling separately and unscrupulous elements take advantage of the situation. But inter-State movements of criminals can be checked to a great extend if the cooperation between the police forces of both the States improves and they start carrying out joint patrolling along the vulnerable stretches of the inter-State border.

=> Over the years, the governments of both the States failed to settle the border disputes through talks and a case in this regard is pending before the Supreme Court.

=> Some areas along the inter-State border also witness disturbances including attempts of extortion by armed groups, land grabbing, etc. Such cases will come down if both the State governments work in a coordinated manner.

=> It is an established fact that militants belonging to the ULFA (Independent) sneak into Assam from their bases in Myanmar through Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.

=> Real-time intelligence sharing between the police forces of the States can help a great deal in anti-insurgency operations.

=> The Northeast region is considered a transit route of narcotics brought from Myanmar and only proper coordination between police forces can check such menace. Moreover, there were reports that the horns of rhinos killed in the Kaziranga National Park or other parks and sanctuaries in Assam are often taken to Myanmar and only coordinated efforts by the police forces of the States of the region can deal with such crimes.