Workers allege attack at Assam-Mizoram border
GUWAHATI: Fresh trouble erupted at the Assam-Mizoram border after a group of labourers in Assam alleged an attack with stones and slingshots by people from the small northeastern state over a road construction.
The alleged incident that took place on Thursday came at a time when the two governments are trying to find solutions to the 164.6km-long-border dispute following the July 26 clashes that killed seven people.
While Mizoram Police refuted all claims of an attack and alleged forceful construction by Assam on their land, Assam Police said the work was being carried out three kilometres away from the border. “They did not attack anyone,” Mizoram’s Kolasib district superintendent of police Vanlalfaka Ralte said.
Sharing details of the alleged incident, the labourers said that they were attacked by a group of masked men carrying guns and insisted that the accused were from Mizoram. One of them alleged that the group was attacked by around 30 people with stones and slingshots.
“Some of them were carrying bows and arrows and a few had guns. It looked like they planned to kill us, so we left the area. Hundreds of slingshots were fired at our vehicle and we heard a few gunshots too,” the labourer said, preferring anonymity.
Cachar superintendent of police Ramandeep Kaur said the identity of the attackers were yet to be confirmed. “Since the attackers were masked, we cannot say they were from Mizoram. The area is near the interstate border which is a no-network zone. Our workers could not call for help immediately. We need to probe the matter carefully,” he said.
Kaur also said that the attack will not affect the construction work. “The rest of the work will progress as per plan, and we will provide adequate security to the workers,” he said.
Ralte, however, accused Assam of forcefully holding construction work on their land. “Assam is forcibly constructing the road on Mizoram’s land which angered the people here.
To this, Kaur responded: “This is an Assam government-sanctioned work which cannot be in Mizoram’s territory. The work is going on under Pradhanmantri Gramin Sadak Yojana, three kilometres from the Mizoram border according to the Survey of India map.”