MHA TELLS ASSAM, MIZORAM TO RESOLVE BORDER ROW ‘AMICABLY’
The Union home ministry on Wednesday told the Assam and Mizoram governments to continue to “amicably” resolve the ongoing border conflict between the two states which left six policemen and a civilian dead through dialogue, officials said.
At a meeting with chief secretaries and the police heads of Assam and Mizoram chaired by home secretary Ajay Bhalla, officials said both states agreed for deployment of a neutral central force along the disturbed interstate border.
NEW DELHI : The chief secretaries and the police heads of Assam and Mizoram attended a meeting Wednesday called by the Union home ministry to resolve the ongoing border conflict between the two states which left five policemen and a civilian dead recently. Home secretary Ajay Bhalla chaired the meeting which was attended by Assam chief secretary Jishnu Baruah and Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta and their respective Mizoram counterparts Lalnunmawia Chuaungo and SBK Singh, officials said.
“The central government is concerned over the Assam-Mizoram border dispute which led to violence and deaths of six people. The objective of the meeting is to lower the tension, bring peace and possibly find a solution,” a home ministry official said.
The director general of CRPF also attended the meeting as the personnel of the paramilitary force have been deployed in the Assam-Mizoram border areas where tension is high, the official said. Six Assam Police personnel and a civilian were killed and around 41 others including a superintendent of police were injured when the Mizoram Police opened fire on a team of the Assam officials Monday.
Assam’s Barak Valley districts of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi share a 164-km long border with three Mizoram districts of Aizawl, Kolasib and Mamit.
The incident came two days after Union home minister Amit Shah held talks with the chief ministers of eight northeastern states and underscored the need to resolve lingering border disputes.
Separately, in a letter addressed to Bhalla, Mizoram home secretary Lalbiaksangi said that National Highway 306, the state’s lifeline that connects it with the rest of the country, has been blocked in Assam since July 26.
“The blockade is adversely
affecting the livelihood of the people of Mizoram. Movement of vehicles along other routes connecting Mizoram and Assam has also been blocked inside Assam.
Meanwhile, Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Assam Ripun Bora has written a letter to Union home minister Amit Shah demanding an all-party meeting along with the stakeholders to resolve the border dispute between Assam and Mizoram.
In the letter, Bora, former Assam Congress chief, said that the border disputes of AssamMizoram have arrived at a “volatile” stage. He further stated if the tension is not removed immediately with a “positive political response” to the matters related to the border disputes, situation in both the “States may go from bad to worst with its adverse impact in other northeastern States”.
“I urge upon you to urgently call a meeting of both the Chief Ministers of the two States and all the political parties of northeastern States including national, regional and local political parties with other stakeholders in presence of Prime Minister so that a permanent solution can be availed. It is a high time to avoid vested political interests for the greater public interests of the people,” the Rajya Sabha MP stated in a letter to the Union home minister.