Assam-Mizoram border row: Partial inter-state movement allowed amid highway blockade

As many as  21 goods trucks moved to Mizoram and many vehicles returned to Assam from the state border as the 13-day-old blockade of the National Highway (NH) 306 in Assam continued. Assam Police officials said that attempts were made to convince the agitators, but they refused to call off the blockade until the Mizoram government withdrew their security personnel forces from Assam's Cachar and Karimganj districts.

Border Security Force (BSF) personnel were deployed in the disputed areas -- Vairengte and Saihapui 'V' villages in Mizoram's Kolasib district bordering Assam's Cachar district, and Thinghlun village in west Mizoram's Mamit district along the Karimganj district in Assam.

This comes two days after Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla chaired a meeting and decided that Mizoram will partly withdraw its forces from the border areas and the blockade on NH-306 on the Assam side will be lifted. Assam and Mizoram Chief Secretaries Jishnu Barua and Lalnunmawia Chuaungo attended the meeting. Meanwhile, Central para-military forces are being deployed along the border area to deal with the situation.

READ: Assam, Mizoram agree to settle border dispute, stress on coordination

READ: Saikia writes to NHRC over death of Assam resident in Mizoram

Assam-Mizoram border row

The two states share a common boundary of 164.6-km. After the violent clash between the people living in border areas of the two states, Mizoram claimed that Assam did a road blockade at various points of inter-state highways connecting the two states stopping the entry of essential commodities. Areas like Thinghlun, Saihapui 'V' and Vairengte witnessed clashes between locals. Assam claims that the incident was the handiwork of miscreants to create disturbance in the community. Assam's forest Minister Parimal Shuklabaidya told PTI that such incidents happen in the area every year as people from both the sides illegally cut trees.

Mizoram claims that a 509-square-miles stretch of the inner-line reserve forest notified in 1875 was the actual Mizoram's boundary with Assam, which has led to locals often clashing over it. Mizoram's MNF MLA Lalrintluanga Sailo, who is camping at Vairengte claimed that more than 80 per cent of people living along the Assam-Mizoram border are illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.

READ: MHA discusses situation with Mizoram governor over Assam-Mizoram border issue

READ: Assam-Mizoram border issue: CM Sonowal thanks PM Modi over 'assurance' to solve dispute