Guwahati, Aug 19: A week after suspected miscreants from Arunachal Pradesh allegedly opened fire on Assam residents at Mingmang-Bodoti in Dhemaji, Oikomoncho Dhemaji on Wednesday staged a two-hour sit-in demanding action over the incident and a time-bound resolution to the decades-old border dispute. “It is unfortunate that the Arunachal security camp set up on Assam land has not yet been removed by the government.

We want the miscreants responsible for the firing to be arrested. Eleven people were injured in the incident, and the one-time assistance announced by the government should be increased from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.

If our demands are not met, we will intensify our protest,” a protester said. The protesters also demanded a ban on the sale and purchase of land within 10 km of the disputed area and the seizure of firearms from residents living along the border, along with cancellation of their arms licences.

“If the authorities cannot provide us security, we will be compelled to protect ourselves. Ten days have passed, and no culprit has been arrested so far.

I urge the Assam government that if the firearms cannot be seized from the culprits, then provide us with AK-47s,” another protester said. Congress delegation visits affected areaEarlier on Tuesday, a delegation of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee visited the Mimangbodoti area and interacted with local indigenous residents.

Residents told the delegation that peace and normalcy are yet to return to the border areas. Police and the administration, however, prevented the Congress team from visiting the main conflict-affected zone.

P. Das, alleged that the Assam government had failed to resolve the border dispute, leaving indigenous communities feeling insecure.

He urged the state government to take steps to protect the land, economic and constitutional rights of Assam’s indigenous population. Eight indigenous residents of Assam who were injured in the firing are currently undergoing treatment at Dibrugarh Medical College and Hospital.

The Congress delegation also visited the injured at the hospital and enquired about their health. One youth is reportedly in critical condition.

The firing incident has added to longstanding tensions along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, where the two states have been engaged in efforts to resolve areas of disputed territorial claims. On August 16, the Assam government decided to establish a security camp along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh interstate border at Mingmang-Bodoti to prevent encroachment and avert the recurrence of violent incidents in the area.