After a clash along the Mizoram-Assam inter-state border on July 26, seven people, including six Assam Police officers, were killed and scores were injured, Assam and Mizoram have been locked in a tense border standoff.
After a telephonic discussion with Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga said today that the boundary dispute with Assam will be resolved amicably through dialogue. He has urged Mizoram residents to avoid any further escalation of the situation.
“As per telephonic discussion with Union Home Minister and Assam Chief Minister, we agreed to resolve the Mizoram-Assam border issue amicably through meaningful dialogue,” the Mizoram Chief Minister said on Twitter.
“New negotiations between the two governments have begun to de-escalate the situation,” Mizoram government sources told NDTV, adding that the state government is considering dropping a case filed against the Assam chief minister.
According to sources, the Centre has informed both states that their officers and forces will be prohibited from carrying arms while visiting the conflict zone, which is now manned by central forces.
As part of the de-escalation plan, the central government has also asked the two states to restore emergency and essential supply movement, they said.
Later in the day, Mr Sarma tweeted, “Our main focus is on keeping the spirit of the North-East alive,” insisting that border disputes can only be resolved through dialogue.
After a clash along the Mizoram-Assam inter-state border on July 26, seven people, including six Assam Police officers, were killed and scores were injured, Assam and Mizoram have been locked in a tense border standoff.
Following the clashes, both states issued summonses to each other, but neither state has honoured them. In its FIR, Mizoram has named the Assam Chief Minister and other high-ranking officials as suspects in the incident.
According to the first information report filed under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including “attempt to murder,” Assam police officers refused to have a “amicable dialogue” with Mizoram police on the day of the incident, acting on orders from Mr Sarma himself.
Mr. Sarma, for one, has questioned why the matter cannot be investigated by a neutral agency.
Mr Sarma tweeted, “Will be very happy to join any investigation, but why isn’t the case being handed over to a neutral agency, especially when the place of occurrence is well within the constitutional territory of Assam?”
In the ongoing standoff in Assam, opposition parties have backed the government. Speaker Biswajit Daimary will lead a 19-member all-party Assam assembly delegation to Delhi, requesting that the Centre resolve the state’s boundary dispute with Mizoram as soon as possible.
The two states have been at odds over the border for decades, but Monday’s clashes erupted over Mizoram’s alleged construction in the disputed 198-square-mile stretch between Lailapur in southern Assam’s Dhalai district and Vairengte in northern Mizoram’s Kolasib district.
According to Mizoram, the violence began when Assam police crossed the border and “overran” a police post in Kolasib, causing damage to vehicles on the national highway and opening fire on state police.
In the areas where there has been violence, at least five companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (a total of 500 troops) have been deployed.
There are two more companies on standby.
The Chenab Times News Desk