Guwahati, July 26:

Brief
– Violence erupts at Assam – Mizoram border after report of attack on Mizoram bound vehicle
– Seven Assam officials injured by mob 6 km inside the Assam territory
– Assam – Mizoram CMs seek Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s intervention
– Blame game from both states
– Inter state border disputes were discussed with Amit Shah in Shillong on July 24, 2021

Full Report

Violence erupted at the Assam – Mizoram border on Monday in which at least 10 officials and civilians were injured and vehicles damaged. Meanwhile, Chief Ministers of both the states have sought urgent intervention of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah into the situation.

Assam officials said that a large number of civilians from Mizoram attacked the officials, vehicles and other assets, injuring seven officials six kilometers inside the Assam territory.

Mizoram officials claimed that the people belonging to Assam damaged a Mizoram bound vehicle in which a Mizo couple was travelling.

District and police officials of Assam and Mizoram, who are camping at the trouble torn Lailapur along Cachar (Assam)-Kolasib (Mizoram) district are trying hard to quell the situation.

Unconfirmed reports said that there were some firings during the melee along the border.

Cachar District Deputy Commissioner Keerthi Jalli, District Superintendent of Police Nimbalkar Vaibhav Chandrakant and Kolasib district officials are camping in the tension ridden areas to control the situation.

Assam – Mizoram CMs ring SOS to Amit Shah

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga in a series of tweets have sought the urgent intervention of the Union Home Minister to control the situation.

Mizoram CM in his tweet said : “Dear Himantaji, after cordial meeting of CMs by Hon’ble Shri Amit Shah ji, surprisingly two companies of Assam Police with civilians lathicharged & tear gassed civilians at Vairengte Auto Rickshaw stand inside Mizoram today (Monday). They even overrun CRPF personnel and Mizoram Police.”

“Hon’ble Himanta Biswa Sarma ji, as discussed I kindly urge that Assam Police be instructed to withdraw from Vairengte for the safety of civilians,” said Zoramthanga’s tweet, which was also tagged with the twitter handles of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister and their offices twitter handles.

In his first tweet, Zoramthanga tagging the videos of the border troubles said : “Shri Amit Shah ji….kindly look into the matter. This needs to be stopped right now.”

Shri @AmitShah ji….kindly look into the matter.

This needs to be stopped right now.#MizoramAssamBorderTension @PMOIndia @HMOIndia @himantabiswa @dccachar @cacharpolice pic.twitter.com/A33kWxXkhG

— Zoramthanga (@ZoramthangaCM) July 26, 2021

In another tweet he said : “Innoncent couple on their way back to Mizoram via Cachar manhandled and ransacked by thugs and goons. How are you going to justify these violent acts ?”

Innoncent couple on their way back to Mizoram via Cachar manhandled and ransacked by thugs and goons.

How are you going to justify these violent acts?@dccachar @cacharpolice @DGPAssamPolice pic.twitter.com/J9c20gzMZQ

— Zoramthanga (@ZoramthangaCM) July 26, 2021

Assam Chief Minister also in a series of tweets said : “I have just spoken to Hon’ble Chief Minister Zoramthanga ji. I have reiterated that Assam will maintain status quo and peace between the borders of our state. I have expressed my willingness to visit Aizawl and discuss these issues if need be.”

I have just spoken to Hon’ble Chief Minister @ZoramthangaCM ji.I have reiterated that Assam will maintain status quo and peace between the borders of our state. I have expressed my willingness to visit Aizawl and disscuss these issues if need be @AmitShah @PMOIndia

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) July 26, 2021

Sarma in another tweet said : “Honble Zoramthanga ji, Kolasib (Mizoram) SP is asking us to withdraw from our post until then their civilians won’t listen nor stop violence. How can we run government in such circumstances? Hope you will intervene at earliest.”

Honble ⁦@ZoramthangaCM⁩ ji , Kolasib ( Mizoram) SP is asking us to withdraw from our post until then their civilians won’t listen nor stop violence. How can we run government in such circumstances? Hope you will intervene at earliest ⁦@AmitShah⁩ ⁦@PMOIndia⁩ pic.twitter.com/72CWWiJGf3

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) July 26, 2021

The Assam CM tagged his tweet with the twitter handles of Amit Shah and PMO.

The inter-state border troubles issues were discussed when the Union Home Minister met the Chief Ministers of eight northeastern states in Shillong on July 24, 2021.

Mizoram’s three districts – Aizawl, Kolasib and Mamit share borders with Assam’s Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi districts.

Assam – Mizoram border row

According to Assam police, since October last year, several inter-state border skirmishes have taken place along the 164.6 km Assam-Mizoram border in which over 50 people were injured, one man was killed, besides causing large scale damage to properties including a government run schools and a large number of shops and houses along the borders.

Assam Chief Minister during the ongoing session of the state Assembly said that 1,777 hectares of land in three districts of southern Assam — Cahcar, Karimganj and Hailakandi — have been encroached by Mizos.

Assam CM’s claim was strongly denied by the Mizoram Chief Secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo saying that the lands referring by the Assam Chief Minister and his government are being occupied by the residents of Mizoram’s border villages for over 100 years, hence, there is no question of encroachment.

Mizoram Home Minister Lalchamliana had said earlier that the crops of Mizo farmers had been destroyed at Buarchep (in Kolasib district) by the Assam police earlier this month and demanded adequate compensation by the Assam government.

The Assam-Mizoram border troubles were tamed last year following the intervention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, top Home Ministry officials and Chief Ministers of both states and then the central paramilitary troops were deployed along the border to prevent fresh troubles after a series of clashes and blockades on National Highway 306.

But since June 29, 2021 the troubles along the borders of the two northeastern states have resumed after the two states accused each other of encroachment at Aitlang hnar near Vairengte, which borders southern Assam’s Hailakandi district.

Tension further shot up when Assam officials reportedly destroyed some plantations at Buarchep in the Phainuam area bordering Cachar district on July 10 during eviction, even as Assam officials claimed that the people of Mizoram encroached more than six km into its territory.

The Assam government had also recently filed a suit before a court in southern Assam’s Cachar district.

Assam’s border dispute with NE states

Assam, which shares borders with six other northeastern states — Nagaland (512.1 km), Arunachal Pradesh (804.1 km), Manipur (204.1 km), Mizoram (164.6 km), Tripura (46.3 km) and Meghalaya (884.9 km), has boundary disputes at least with four northeastern states – Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya besides Mizoram.

Inter-state boundary disputes between Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Meghalaya, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh during the past several years have witnessed many violent activities and skirmishes among the security forces and the people living along the boundaries of these states.

Encroachment in the border areas, and various unlawful activities, including attacks and abductions, infrequently took place along the inter-state borders of the northeastern states, occasionally leading to major incidents.

The Central para-military forces have been deployed in some of the inter-state borders to prevent further escalation of violence.

Also Read:

Assam-Mizoram simao gogriktaia, a•dok damgnini CM-rang Amit Shah-na sedoata