By PTI
AIZAWL: A group of village councils and organisations from the Mizoram-Assam border on Tuesday urged the two state governments to try resolve the dispute by stepping down from original claims and by agreeing to demarcate the boundary at a mid-way point acceptable to both.
Leaders of village councils of Vairengte and neighbouring border villages, such as Phainuam and Saipum, besides local NGOs told media-persons at a press conference here, that they favoured a mutual understanding and stressed attempting to solve the dispute based on notifications issued 80 to 150 years ago was no longer feasible.
Vairengte joint village council chairman R. Lalfamkima, who headed the team, said that there can’t be a lasting solution unless there is mutual understanding in respect to the areas, which have been originally or permanently occupied by people from either side.
He said there is a need to retain areas previously occupied by Mizo tribals as jhum lands or farms, which have been allegedly encroached upon by people from Assam in recent years.
However, Lalfamkima, said it would be ‘impossible’ to try and solve the border dispute based on notifications issued in 1875 or 1933, as residents from both sides have occupied land on the other side.
Both states have differing interpretations of their territorial border.
While Mizoram believes that its border lies along an ‘inner line’ drawn up in 1875 to protect tribals from outside influence, Assam goes by a district demarcation done in 1933.
Zalawta who heads an NGO from Vairengte, pointed out that a vast stretch of land, which was part inner line reserve forest line notified in 1875 is now de-facto part of Assam with more than 4 lakh voters staying there, and reclaiming this area by Mizoram is now ‘out of question.’
Similarly, a vast tract of land, including about 200 houses in Vairengte town, which by the terms of 1933 notification should be in Assam, has been occupied by Mizo residents for over a century and handing it back to Assam based on an 88-year old boundary notification is highly ‘impracticable.’
Mizoram shares about 164.6 km inter-state border with Assam.
The boundary dispute between the two neighbouring states is a long pending issue that has been unresolved to date.
Sporadic border standoffs since 2018 culminated into a violent clash on July 26 this year when forces of both states exchanged fire leaving at least six Assam police personnel and a civilian dead and more than 50 people injured.