Mizoram requests Assam to release vehicles stranded on NH; assures safety amid border row

Amid the raging border dispute, the Mizoram government on Monday wrote to its counterpart in Assam to release all the vehicles stranded on National Highway. Mizoram, while assuring the safety and security of all the drivers, passengers, and their vehicles within the state, asked Assam to make all necessary arrangements immediately for enabling their entering in Mizoram without any law and order problem in Assam. 

Mizoram govt writes to Assam  

"Vehicles bound for Mizoram which have been stranded on the NH-306 at Laipur since 26.7.2021 want to enter Mizoram without delay. In this regard kindly make all necessary arrangements immediately for enabling their entering into Mizoram without any law and order problem in Assam. The government of Mizoram gives its assurance for the safety and security of all the drivers, passengers, and their vehicles within Mizoram," the letter read. 

The development comes a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to both the CMs to diffuse the border tensions. The trigger for the present tension, as per Assam, was Mizoram breaching the existing status quo by commencing the construction of a road towards Rengti Basti, thus 'destroying' the Inner Line Forest Reserve in the Lailapur area besides building an armed camp in the same vicinity.

Assam claimed that the Mizoram Police opened fire on its officials and civilians with automatic weapons including light machine guns (LMGs) which resulted in the death of six police officials and left over 50 persons injured. On the contrary, Mizoram claimed that its police personnel fired at their Assam counterparts only after the latter launched tear gas grenades at them. There were also FIRs filed in this regard, including that in the name of Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma by Mizoram and K Vanlalvena, Rajya Sabha MP by Assam. 

On Sunday, however, the Mizoram government had removed Assam CM's name from the FIR. In response, Assam removed FIR against K Vanlalvena, Rajya Sabha MP from Mizoram.

History of Assam-Mizoram dispute

It is pertinent to mention here that the Assam-Mizoram border dispute dates back to the 19th century when the country was under British rule. The Britishers had demarcated the boundary between Lushai Hills (As Mizoram was known at that time, and the Kachar Hills (in Assam), and had informed the same through a notification called the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) of 1873. 

While BEFR was lifted in Assam and other Northeast states, it continued to be in force in Mizoram, which backed it with the Inner Line of the Lushai Hills Notification of 1993. This led to the dispute; and several attempts were made to resolve it, particularly after 1995, but in vain.

(Image Credit: PTI)