Centre tells 2 states: Let CRPF tackle flashpoints

Assam told to ensure no blockade of Mizoram Delhi is annoyed over Twitter war among CMs

The Union home ministry has directed both the Assam and Mizoram governments to hand over all the disputed sectors of the inter-state border in Hailakandi and Karimganj districts to the Central Reserve Police Force, which will be act as a “neutral force” in the disputed areas. Security sources also said that the MHA was not happy about the way the two chief ministers have engaged in a diatribe on the social media, mainly on Twitter, and added that the Centre had categorically refused to favour any of the two CMs who had repeatedly pleaded for Central intervention in their support.

The Union home ministry on Friday asked the Assam government to ensure that no economic blockade was imposed on Mizoram and that the movement of essential commodities was not affected. The MHA has also deployed additional Central forces on National Highway 306, which is the main highway for the flow of essential goods into Mizoram, passing through Assam. Mizoram had claimed Assam had blocked NH306 and other roads connecting Mizoram with the rest of the country.

Saying the MHA was not happy over the public

THE UNION home ministry on Friday asked the Assam government to ensure that no economic blockade was imposed on Mizoram and that the movement of essential commodities was not affected

discourse in the social media citing various reasons for the flareup on the Assam-Mizoram border, the security sources said the Centre was extremely worried over the widening bitterness between the two northeastern states.

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

Saying that the CRPF has been asked to act firmly while dealing with the situation in the disputed areas, the security sources said the simmering tension between the

two states has made it very challenging for the CRPF to take over control of the area. The sources said a senior police officer of Mizoram pulled up a CRPF DIG, accusing him of not acting impartially.

Residents of the area claimed two Assamese families were evicted from their homes by Mizo miscreants in the past 48 hours. Ratabari Bharatita Janata Party 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 soon after Mizoram home secretary Pi Lalbiaksangi, in a letter to the home ministry, said armed police personnel were being mobilised by Assam at Dholai and Hawaithang along the interstate border. “There is also a news report that four platoons of Black Panther commandos are part of this reinforcement,” she pointed out.

Ms Lalbiaksangi said 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 the Assam government issued a travel advisory to its citizens advising to refrain from travelling to the neighbouring state, Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga said on Twitter on Friday that the Northeast will always be one and shared a government notification, issued a day before Assam’s travel advisory, to stress that there will be no restrictions on non-residents of Mizoram travelling 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.

Assam, on the other hand, said after its travel advisory that all vehicles entering from Mizoram will be checked for “illicit drugs”.

Earlier this week, Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla had held a series of meetings with senior officials from the two states. He met Mizoram’s chief secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo and DGP S.B.K. Singh, followed by a meeting with Assam chief secretary Jishnu Barua and DGP Bhaskar Jyoti. The issue of an economic blockade was raised by the Mizoram chief secretary, who later alleged in a letter that Assam had imposed an “unofficial” economic blockade on Mizoram by blockingNH-36 and some other roads linking Mizoram with the rest of the country.

“It is reported with serious concern that Assam has been indulging in the practice of imposing economic blockade merely because the main supply routes — national highways and railway lines – pass through the state,” the letter said.

“The blockade is affecting the livelihood of Mizoram’s people adversely. The movement of vehicles along other routes connecting Mizoram and Assam have also been blocked inside Assam state,” the letter added.

The sources said Mizoram in a specific complaint to the MHA said that Assam even stopped some trucks carrying essential medical equipment and commodities for hospitals in Aizawl. The Mizoram government said such an economic blockade was earlier implemented by Assam for nearly a month in October 2020 when tensions had escalated at the border.