Mizoram-Assam Border feud: Fresh violence prompts MHA intervention; Amit Shah talks to CMs

Aggravating territorial disputes between Mizoram and Assam, on July 26, fresh violence broke out at disputed borders between both sides. The clashes emerged two days after Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah held dialogues between CM Zoramthanga and his Assamese counterpart CM Hemant Biswa Sarma in a convention of the North-East CMs. 

Reports of firing and several casualties including civilians and of jawans of Assam Police being gravely injured in the latest clashes along the border in Assam's Cachar district and Mizoram's Colasib district. The violence that ensued in an already disturbed region prompted the CMs of both states to seek Home Minister's intervention in the feud.

ANI reported that Amit Shah had dialled both state leaders and urged them to resolve the matter in hand, to which they have agreed. Cops of both states have initiated their withdrawal from the disputed Mizoram-Assam border.

Mizoram-Assam fresh violence at border 

Earlier in the day, CMs of both states took to Twitter to establish respective stances. Both CMs clashed via their official Twitter handles. The fold of events was as follows;

A grenade was reportedly hurled at a team of Assam government officials in Cachar district by alleged miscreants of neighbouring Mizoram on July 10 during an eviction drive against illegal encroachment was held. Varied high-level meetings between both state secretaries and ministers could yield no solid resolution per se.

Therefore, CMs needed to resort to Shah's intervention. 

Retaliating to Mizoram CM's appeal through clashes earlier today, CM Hemant Biswa Sarma said,

Couple assaulted at Mizoram-Assam border

on July 26, a couple returning to the former state via Cachar district near the border of two states were assaulted wherein their vehicle was allegedly raided and ransacked.

Mizoram CM Zoramthanga took to Twitter to share a visual of the couple's plight. 

Taking to his official Twitter handle and tagging Assam Police, CM Zoramthanga of Mizo National Front stated, "Innocent couple on their way back to Mizoram via Cachar manhandled and ransacked by thugs and goons. How are you going to justify these violent acts? @dccachar @cacharpolice @DGPAssamPolice"

Violence on disputed Mizoram-Assam border

Incidents of violence on the Mizoram-Assam border prevail as both states are at loggerheads in relation to their geographical reach. 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. While several dialogues were held since 1995 to resolve the boundary feud no substantive results were produced. Until 1972, when it was separated from Assam as a Union Territory, the northeastern state was a part of Assam.  Following the historic Mizoram Accord between the erstwhile underground Mizo National Front (MNF) and the Centre, which ended 20 years of insurgency in the state, Mizoram became India's 23rd state on February 20, 1987. 

In a re-run of Incidents of violence between both states, earlier today, a firing at Lailapur in Assam was reported wherein 8 police personnel were injured

On July 11, two back-to-back explosions occurred at the inter-state border on the side of the neighbouring state. According to Assam Police, the suspected IED blast was carried out within Assam's Cachar district by miscreants from Mizoram during an eviction campaign. Tensions are high in the district's Khulicherra area, where Mizoram residents reportedly crossed into Assam land for up to 6.5 kilometres a few days ago, prompting an eviction effort by the Assam Police and civil administration.

Last year, miscreants from Mizoram allegedly bombed a school in upper Painam, severely damaging it. 

On July 25, CM Zoramthanga raised the key Mizoram- Assam border issue in a convention of the North-East Chief Ministers, chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Shillong.

In the talks held at the State Convention Centre, CM Zoramthanga said, “Border disputes in India's northeastern states are a legacy of the colonial era and lasting peace between states is important to further development in the region,” ANI reported.

Furthermore, Mizoram’s CM stated that the border dispute has been inherited by the present ruling government from their predecessors, adding that the longstanding issue was left unresolved at the time when states of Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Mizoram were formed. Tension prevails between both the States and reaching a consensus appear to be far-fetched despite top-level efforts from the Ministry of Home Affairs.