News Analysis India

Tag: Assam-Mizoram border row

  • Mizoram to withdraw FIR lodged against Assam CM Himanta

    Express News Service
    GUWAHATI: The Mizoram government will withdraw the FIR lodged against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in connection with the July 26 incident on the interstate border that left six Assam Police personnel dead and scores others injured.

    Mizoram Chief Secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo on Sunday said the government would “relook” at the FIR lodged against the Assam CM.

    He said Chief Minister Zoramthanga did not approve of the inclusion of Sarma’s name in the FIR. He said he too was not aware of Sarma’s name being included in the FIR before it was lodged.

    Apart from Sarma, four police officers and two administrative officers from Assam were named in the FIR. They were asked to depose before the investigating officer at Mizoram’s Vairengte police station on Sunday.

    The Mizoram chief secretary said Zoramthanga had suggested a relook at the FIR. He said after consulting the police officer concerned, Sarma’s name would be removed from the FIR if there were no “legal hitches”.

    The Assam CM said he would not mind his arrest if that solved the border problem.

    “I have to protect my officers. I will not allow my officers to be arrested or taken away. We will not accept that notice (summons to six officers by Mizoram Police). But if a notice is issued to me, I will go to Vairengte and join the investigation,” Sarma told journalists in Guwahati.

    He continued: “I will say if my arrest solves the problem, why not arrest me today itself. I am not going to seek interim bail from the Gauhati High Court. But we will not allow our officers to be investigated when the place of occurrence is within the state of Assam.”

    He reiterated that the July 26 incident be investigated by a third party – the National Investigation Agency or a central government agency. He said the probe was needed as six persons had lost their lives and their families might want to know the truth – what exactly happened on that fateful day.

    Sarma also said it would be better if there was a decision on the border disputes on how the two states should live in the future. He said the Centre could take the lead in this regard. At the same time, he stressed on dialogues.

    “Our main focus is on keeping the spirit of North-East alive. What happened along the Assam-Mizoram border is unacceptable to the people of both states. Honble CM @ZoramthangaCM had promised to call me post his quarantine. Border disputes can only be resolved through discussion,” Sarma tweeted.

    Zoramthanga said he had discussed the issue with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Sarma over the phone on Sunday.

    “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,” he tweeted.

    He requested the people of Mizoram to avoid posting sensitive messages and make judicious use of the social media platform in order to prevent any possible escalation of the situation. Later, he deleted the tweet.

    Chuaungo said the state government had taken up the issue of blockade in Assam, which choked supplies to Mizoram, with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). He was confident the MHA would be able to convince the Assam government to lift the blockade.

    It was imposed by some organisations in Assam’s Cachar and Hailakandi districts. Mizoram relies on supplies that come through National Highway 306.

  • Assam-Mizoram border standoff: Neutral force CRPF faces flak

    By PTI
    AIZAWL: A day after a violent clash and exchange of fire between police forces of Assam and Mizoram left at least six people dead and over 50 injured, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) deployed along the disputed interstate border on Tuesday received criticism from various quarters for allegedly failing to carry out its “responsibility” as a neutral force.

    A Mizoram minister, the local MLA and the village council chief alleged that the CRPF were unable to prevent “Assam policemen and civilians” from entering the neighbouring state and overrun security forces’ camps inside Mizoram near Veringte on Monday.

    Central paramilitary forces have been deployed along the Mizoram-Assam border by the Central government as neutral forces to defuse tension and maintain peace following a border standoff in August last year.

    While the CRPF are deployed on the Mizoram side, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) are camped on the Assam side in Lailapur.

    ALSO READ | Full demarcation of border needed for durable solution to Assam-Mizoram dispute: BJP leader

    Mizoram Information and Public Relations Minister Lalruatkima alleged that the paramilitary forces did not restrain armed police personnel and civilians from Assam from intruding into Mizoram territory despite the vulnerability of the situation.

    “The bloody clash could have been averted had CRPF personnel prevented Assam police from entering Mizoram territory and put restrain on them,” Lalruatkima, who is currently camping at Vairengte, told PTI.

    He alleged that unarmed Mizoram police officers were denied protection by CRPF personnel when they rushed to the CRPF base when the firing took place between two state forces on Monday.

    Officials of the CRPF were not available for comment.

    Lalrinsanga Ralte, the MLA of Serlui constituency under which Vairengte falls, accused the CRPF of backing the police personnel and civilians from Assam in entering Mizoram territory.

    He also alleged that Assam police took over the CRPF camp and driven out around 15 personnel of Mizoram police from their duty post located a few meters away from the CRPF camp on the outskirt of Vairengte.

    The MLA claimed that the people of Mizoram have lost faith in the paramilitary force as far as maintaining neutrality and restoring peace on the border areas are concerned.

    ALSO READ | Not an inch of Assam’s land can be encroached upon by Mizoram: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

    Vairengte joint village council chairman R Lalfamkima also blamed the CRPF for allegedly failing to carry out their responsibility to defuse tension.

    Lalfamkima, who claimed to have been present at the incident site on Monday, alleged that the CRPF personnel did nothing to stop the Assam team from proceeding and avert clashes.

    In a statement on Monday, the Assam government alleged that the Mizoram Police opened fire on its officials and civilians from two dominating high features with automatic weapons, including light machine guns (LMGs).

    However, Mizoram Home Minister Lalchamliana claimed that the state police responded “spontaneously by firing back” at Assam Police after its 200 personnel forcibly crossed a duty post manned by CRPF personnel and indulged in arson and firing and assaulted unarmed people Following the incident, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga and urged them to ensure peace along the disputed border and find an amicable settlement.

    Assam’s Barak Valley districts of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi share a 164-km border with Mizoram’s three districts of Aizawl, Kolasib and Mamit.

    Tensions along the border with Mizoram in Cachar and Hailakandi districts of Assam have been escalating since October 2020 with frequent incidents of burning of houses and charges of encroachment of land by both sides.

    On October 22, 2020, high-level talks were held under the aegis of the Union Home Ministry where it was decided to maintain the status quo and resolve the dispute through discussions.

    The tension flared up again in February this year and since then people had fled their houses near Gallacherra border outpost after two huts were burnt down.

    After a lull of few months, a grenade was hurled on an Assam government team visiting the border by unknown attackers from Mizoram on July 10, while two back-to-back explosions were heard from across the border in the wee hours on July 11.

    A high-level meeting between officials of both the states, including the chief secretaries and DGPs, was also held in New Delhi earlier this month, on the issue to sort out the dispute.

    Mizoram was a district of Assam before it was carved out as a separate union territory in 1971 after years of insurgency and the district borders did not really matter.

    The border issue cropped up after that as perceptions over where the boundary should be, differed.

    While Mizoram wants it to be along the inner line notified in 1875, which Mizo tribals feel is part of their historical homeland, Assam wants it to be demarcated according to district demarcation done much later.

  • Full demarcation of border needed for durable solution to Assam-Mizoram dispute: BJP leader

    Full demarcation of border needed for durable solution to Assam-Mizoram dispute: BJP leader

  • Mizoram govt should apologise to Assam govt, Assamese people: BJP MP Dilip Saikia

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Mizoram government should apologise to the Assam government and the Assamese people for the death of five police personnel at the border of the two states, BJP general secretary and MP Dilip Saikia said on Tuesday.

    The MP from Mangaldoi in Assam also cited a video purportedly showing “Mizo people” celebrating after the incident on Monday.

    “What Mizoram police along with local people did yesterday is condemnable. There was a video showing Mizo people celebrating the killing of Assamese police personnel. I condemn this barbaric attack on Assamese people and police,” Saikia told reporters.

    “If that video is not fake, the government should apologise to the people,” he said while also stressing that an apology is due anyway.

    At least five Assam Police personnel were killed while defending the “constitutional boundary” of the state with Mizoram and more than 60 people, including an SP, injured as the festering border dispute between the two northeastern states erupted into a bloody conflict, officials said.

    ALSO READ | Assam declares 3-day state mourning to condole death of 5 cops, 1 civilian in border clash with Mizoram

    “This type of incident will demoralise the spirit of Indian nationalism. The interstate border issue is decades old. But such an incident has happened for the first time. The Mizoram government should apologise to Assam government and its people,” Saikia said.

    He added that Home Minister Amit Shah had made a statement on the matter.

    With that spirit in mind, both state governments should sit together and find an amicable solution, the BJP MP said.

    Shah had spoken to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga and urged them to ensure peace along the disputed border and find an amicable settlement.

    ALSO READ | Situation on Assam-Mizoram disputed site being brought to normal, DG CRPF calls meet

    Sarma had earlier claimed six police personnel were killed in action during the clashes.

    Later, just before midnight on Monday, an Assam government statement revised the figure and said five state police personnel died and more than 50 people of the force injured.

    Ten other people were also injured in the clash, officials of Assam’s Cachar district said.

    Assam’s Barak Valley districts of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi share a 164-km border with Mizoram’s three districts of Aizawl, Kolasib and Mamit.

    Violent clashes broke out following allegations of encroachment of territory by both sides over the past few weeks and skirmishes, escalating tensions between the two states.

  • Assam-Mizoram border row: Two more blasts inside Mizoram

    By PTI
    GUWAHATI: A day after a suspected IED blast was carried out inside Cachar district of Assam allegedly by miscreants from Mizoram during an eviction drive, two back to back explosions took place on Sunday along the inter-state border on the side of the neighbouring state, a police source said.

    Tension is running high in Khulicherra area of the district, where people from Mizoram have reportedly entered up to 6.5 kilometres inside Assam land a few days ago, following which the Assam Police along with civil administration carried out an eviction drive.

    “Two blast sounds were heard coming from the Mizoram side at 2.40 am and 2.43 am. The CRPF, which is a neutral force deployed at Khulicherra Point-II, has been asked to enquire into the suspected blasts on the Mizoram side,” an Assam Police source told PTI.

    The situation is at present normal although tension still prevails and Assam Police personnel are in alert position in the entire border area, he added.

    On Saturday, an explosion took place targeting a delegation of Assam government officials, including senior police officials, who were on a visit to oversee the construction of a road along the border, but no casualty was reported in the incident.

    Initially it was believed to be a grenade attack but the police later suspected that the miscreants used an IED, the source said.

    Additional Director General of Police (Border) Harmeet Singh is camping at the spot and monitoring the situation.

    Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that he has written to his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga to settle the border dispute by using satellite mapping of the actual border locations.

    “For complete peace, we should hand over the inter- state border to central police forces after we fix the border issue. We are building roads within the Constitutional boundary of Assam. We will not take an inch of land from Mizoram,” he added.

    There has been a long border dispute between Assam and Mizoram in that area along with other locations in Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj districts of the Barak valley.

    The latest tussle started on Saturday when around 25- 30 people from Mizoram came up to 25 metres ahead of Khulicherra CRPF camp and tried to encroach the land inside Assam, attempting to stop the forest track clearing work and prevent PWD officials from constructing a road, a senior police official said.

    “On receiving the information, the police rushed to the spot and observed that Mizo people, including women, obstructed the route at Khulicherra leading towards Upper Painom LP school which is around 6.5 kilometres inside Assam- Mizoram border.

    “The crowd swelled up to 50-60 civilians. Around the same time, one Additional SP rank officer of the Mizoram Police arrived at the spot and he was asked to remove the illegal encroachment by Mizo people. However, the obstruction was not removed,” the official told PTI.

    Assam Police officers then announced over loudspeakers that their congregation inside Assam territory is illegal and they should disperse peacefully, but they continued their aggressive and abusive behaviour towards government officials on duty and kept threatening them with sharp weapons, he claimed.

    “They had also erected wooden barricades, preventing legitimate movement. After the persuasion attempts were not responded positively, Assam Police personnel moved ahead to clear the encroached land using minimum force. As a result, the encroachment up to the first bridge over Dholakhal Khulicherra stream was cleared and a temporary camp has been set up to prevent further incursions,” the official said.

    He said that the superintendent of police and Additional SPs of Kolasib district on the other side of the border were called for a discussion and they were asked to stop these incursions by removing their people from the encroached land inside Assam territory up to Khulicherra Pt- II.

    But it was not implemented by them on the ground, he said adding that the Mizoram police have also set up a temporary camp on the other side of the bridge over Dholakhal Khulicherra stream.

    Last year, a school of upper Painam was bombed allegedly by miscreants from Mizoram badly damaging it.

     

  • Days after border violence, Congress in Assam wants action against ‘Mizo aggression’

    Express News Service
    GUWAHATI: The Congress on Friday said Assam’s land was getting squeezed due to alleged encroachment by Mizoram.

    The BJP rose to power in the state in 2016 by promising to protect “jati” (community), “mati” (land) and “bheti” (foundation).

    Referring to frequent violent incidents on the inter-state border with Mizoram, Congress MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha told the Assam Assembly it was time the state government took some strong actions to save the state’s land.

    “This government had promised to protect jati, mati, and bheti but we are steadily losing our land to Mizoram. Accompanied by policemen, the miscreants and students from Mizoram often raid the border villages in the Barak Valley and encroach upon our land. This has to stop. The state government has to take some firm actions,” the MLA from the valley told the House.

    After encroaching upon Assam’s land, they carry out some construction and hoist the flag of their students’ organisation. They are taking advantage of Assam’s laxity, he said.

    Sujam Uddin Laskar, who too is an MLA from the valley, also drew the government’s attention to the issue. He urged the government to act before it was too late.

    In his reply, Minister and government spokesman Chandra Mohan Patowary said the state government was alive to the situation.

    “We don’t want any confrontation but cooperation. We believe in peaceful co-existence. We had several rounds of discussions with the Mizoram government. We will sit again so the issue can be resolved amicably. Whenever they (miscreants) came, we put up a resistance,” the minister said.

    The last of the incidents on the inter-state border took place on February 9 when the miscreants, allegedly from Mizoram, torched 21 houses at a village in the valley. Several others were also injured.

    The incidents are taking place intermittently. Earlier, two schools inside Assam were bombed by miscreants from the neighbouring state. Mizoram’s Aizawl, Kolasib, and Mamit districts share a 164.6-km-long border with Assam’s Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj districts.

    Assam is also embroiled in border disputes with Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh.