Mizoram and Assam agree to resolve border dispute

Mizoram and Assam on Friday agreed to make collective efforts to resolve the long pending inter-state border dispute, an official statement said. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswas Sarma on Friday morning invited his Mizoram counterpart Lalduhoma, who is currently camping in Guwahati, over a meal and both the leaders discussed the border issue, the statement issued by state information and public relations department said. During the meeting, Lalduhoma and Sarma agreed to vociferously make collective efforts to resolve the border dispute between the two northeastern states, it said. Both leaders also agreed not to create any tension and  maintain peace along the borders as long as the two neighbouring states hold border talks, it said. Sarma told Lalduhoma that he will send a minister incharge of border to Mizoram when the ongoing Assam budget session is over.

Three Mizoram districts-Aizawl, Kolasib and Mamit- shares 164.6 km border with Assam’s Cachar, Karmganj and Hailankandi districts. The border dispute between the two neighbouring states is a long standing issue, which mainly stemmed from two colonial demarcations. Mizoram claims that 509 square miles area of the inner line reserved forest, notified in 1875 under the  Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) 1873, falls within its territory, while Assam, on the other hand, regarded the map prepared by the Survey of India in 1933 as its constitutional boundary. Vast areas within the inner line reserved forest now fall under Assam. Similarly, a certain extent of the area, as per the 1933 demarcation, is now on the Mizoram side. There is no ground demarcation of boundaries between the two states.

The border dispute between Mizoram and Assam had taken an ugly turn in July 2021 when police forces of the two states exchanged fire at the inter-state boundary, leading to the death of six policemen and a civilian from Assam. More than 60 people were also injured in the violent clash that took place in the disputed area near Mizoram’s Vairengte village. The two states have held several rounds of talks, including three ministerial level meetings since August 21 and agreed to maintain peace along the boundary and resolve the dispute through dialogue.