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Updated July 30th, 2021 at 10:09 IST

Congress MP Manish Tewari demands discussion on Assam-Mizoram border feud in Rajya Sabha

Aghast at the Assam government's 'travel advisory' to its citizens travelling to Mizoram, Congress MP Manish Tewari on Friday, demanded a Rajya Sabha debate

Congress, Assam
IMAGE: PTI/ANI | Image:self
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Aghast at the Assam government's 'travel advisory' to its citizens travelling to Mizoram, Congress MP Manish Tewari on Friday, demanded that the Rajya Sabha must discuss it. Highlighting the Rajya Sabha i.e the 'Council of states' role, Tewari lamented its silence as two states fight each other 'like there is no tomorrow'. Assam and Mizoram are currently embroiled in a border tussle amid the recent faceoff where six policemen and one civilian was killed in Assam.

Tewari demands Assam-Mizoram dispute discussion

Assam's 'Travel advisory'

On Thursday, the Assam government issued an advisory to the people of the state not to visit Mizoram in the wake of "violent skirmishes". It claimed that certain Mizo civil society, students and youth organizations are constantly issuing provocative statements against Assam and its people. Moreover, it urged Assamese people staying in Mizoram for work purposes to exercise utmost caution. The state government has also ordered the checking of all vehicles arriving from Mizoram to stop the trafficking of "illicit" drugs, heightening tensions.

Assam-Mizo clashes

On July 26, five policemen and a civilian were killed during the violent clashes broke out between forces of both sides at the border area shared by Cachar district's Lailapur and Kolasib's Vairengte. Later, policeman  Shyamprasad Dusat succumbed to his abdominal bullet injury at Silchar Medical College Hospital, taking the death toll to seven. Over 50 police officers from Assam were critically injured and were treated in Silchar Hospital. Later, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced financial assistance of Rs 50 lakhs each to families of the police personnel who were martyred and Rs 1 lakh to those who were injured.

Assam has claimed that Mizoram breached 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. It claimed that the Mizoram Police opened fire on the Assam officials and civilians with automatic weapons including LMGs which resulted in deaths. However, Mizoram claimed that its police personnel fired at their Assam counterparts only after the latter launched tear gas grenades at them.

Incidentally, reports stated that the border dispute has cooled off now after  Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to the Chief Ministers of both states and asked them to resolve the crisis. According to sources, the two chief ministers have agreed to Shah's request, and both states' police personnel have now returned from the disputed spot. However, Assam Minister Ashok Singhal stated that Mizoram has not retreated from its post. MHA has ordered the deployment of CRPF at the disputed site. 

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Published July 30th, 2021 at 10:09 IST

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