CRPF roped in solve Assam-Mizoram issue

Assam, Mizoram told to hand over disputed sectors to CRPF

The ministry of home affairs has directed Assam and Mizoram to handover disputed sectors of interstate border in Hailakandi and Karimganj districts to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) which will act as a neutral force in the disputed areas of the two neighbouring states.

Indicating that ministry of home affairs was not happy over the way two Chief Ministers are engaged in diatribe on social media, security sources told this newspaper that ministry of home affairs has also refused to oblige any of the two CM’s who repeatedly pleaded for Central government’s intervention in their favour.

Informing that the home ministry was also not happy over the ongoing public discourse in social media citing various reasons for flare up on Assam-Mizoram border, sources said that the Central government was extremely worried over the widening bitterness between the two states of north-east.

Pointing out that there have been instances of border skirmishes in the past also, sources said that even after some violent protests, people to people contact remained intact and harmony was restored soon after the incident.

Asserting that CRPF has been asked to act firmly while dealing with the situation in disputed areas, security sources said that simmering tension between the two states has made it very challenging for the CRPF too to take over the control of the area. Sources said that a senior police officer of Mizoram pulled up CRPF DIG accusing him of not acting impartially.

Meanwhile, residents of the area claimed that two Assamese families had been evicted from their homes by Mizo miscreants over the past 48 hours.

Ratabari’s BJP MLA Bijoy Malakar said, “At this point, I have not observed any aggressive move from the Mizo side. I have arranged everything from a generator to drinking water for our police force. They are manning the area very competently. A Lailapur-like incident is unlikely to happen at Bhubirband”.

The statement came hours after Mizoram home secretary Pi Lalbiaksangi in a letter to the ministry of home affairs said that armed police personnel were being mobilised by Assam at Dholai and Hawaithang, along the inter-state border. “There is also a news report that four platoons of Black Panther commandos are part of this reinforcement,” she pointed out.

Lalbiaksangi said that mobilisation of a large contingent of armed police by the Assam government was objectionable in view of the already tense border situation. She requested the home ministry to issue appropriate instructions to Assam to refrain from such reinforcements and pull back those contingents.

Meanwhile, a day after Assam government issued a travel advisory to its citizen advising to refrain from travelling to neighbouring state, Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga on Friday in a twitter post said that north-east India will always be one and shared a government notification, issued a day before Assam's travel advisory, underscoring that there will be no restrictions on non-residents of Mizoram traveling through the state’s Kolasib district, which borders Assam’s Cachar district.

The Chief Minister also provided a list of names and telephone numbers to report any problems faced by non-Mizos within Kolasib district.