Assam-Mizoram border dispute explained: History, flashpoint & what we know so far

After decades of silence, the age-old Assam-Mizoram border dispute has flared up once again resulting in violent clashes and cross-border firing. The tensions between the two states escalated on July 26 after clashes broke out between the respective police forces, two days after Home Minister Amit Shah held dialogues between Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga and his Assamese counterpart CM Himanta Biswa Sarma in a convention. Reports of firing and several casualties including civilians continue to emerge as the two northeastern states attempt to establish their respective geographical reach. Here is all you need to know about the Assam-Mizoram border dispute.

What is the dispute between Assam and Mizoram?

What Assam says 

As per the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government, the row started when Mizoram allegedly breached the existing status quo of the Assam Mizoram border by commencing the construction of a road towards Rengti Basti and "destroying" the Inner Line Forest Reserve in Lailapur. A mob of miscreants backed by the Mizoram police allegedly attacked the Assam Police after the latter went to check the construction of an armed camp in the disputed Lailapur area. Over 50 police officers from Assam have received critical injuries in the attack, while at least 5 are reported to be dead.

What Mizoram says

The Mizoram government has put out a different version of events. Mizoram Home Minister Lalchamliana has claimed that around 200 Assam Police personnel came to the Vairengte autorickshaw stand and overran a duty post manned by the state police. He has accused the Assam Police of lathi charging and firing tear gas at unarmed civilians when they reached the site to inquire about the situation, leading to several injuries. According to him, the Mizoram Police personnel fired at the Assam counterparts only after the latter launched tear gas grenades at them. 

Where is the area of dispute located?

Three districts of Mizoram- Aizawl, Kolasib, and Mamit share a 164.6 km-long inter-state border with Assam's Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj districts. The latest cases of clashes along the border lie near Assam's Cachar district and Mizoram's Colasib district. Fresh construction allegedly by Mizoram in the Inner Line Forest Reserve in the Lailapur area, has become a flashpoint for the dispute.

History of Mizoram Assam border issue

The Mizoram Assam dispute dates back to the colonial area after the British demarcated Cachar plains and the Lushai Hills. The plains harbored growing British plantations while the Hills were home to the Mizos. After several rounds of discussions, the Inner Line Reserve Forest demarcation was arrived upon with the consultation of Mizo chiefs in 1875. 

After independence, states such as Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Mizoram were carved out of Assam. When the princely state of Manipur was demarcated in 1993, tensions emerged since its boundary began from the Lushai Hills and Cachar district of Assam. This was not accepted by the Mizos. Mizoram continued to demand that its borders with Assam be determined according to the British government's 1875 agreement. It also claimed that several Mizo-speaking districts had beome a part of Assam during the post-independence demarcation.