Centre, Assam & Mizoram Govts Agree on Deployment of Central Force Along Border

Violence along the Assam-Mizoram border had resulted in the death of five Assam police personnel on Monday.

Police personnel and locals during a clash at the Assam-Mizoram border on 26 July. 

(Photo: PTI)

The Union home ministry and governments of Assam and Mizoram have agreed for deployment of a neutral central force along the disturbed interstate border, news agency PTI reported on Wednesday, quoting officials.

This comes after the violence along the Assam-Mizoram border that resulted in the death of five Assam police personnel on Monday.

The ministry has also reportedly asked governments of both states to continue talks mutually to resolve border issues amicably.

Earlier in the day, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla chaired a meeting on with Mizoram Chief Secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo and DGP SBK Singh over the issue.

The violence had erupted two days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah met chief ministers of all the northeastern states in Shillong.

Chuaungo was quoted as saying, “The discussion is in progress. We will be meeting again in the afternoon,” news agency ANI reported.

Mizoram Chief Secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo.

(Photo: PTI)

Congress Delegation Stopped

Meanwhile, a delegation of Congress leaders including Bhupen Bora, former Chief Minister Debabrata Saikia and others were stopped by Assam police at Dholai in Cachar.

Congress leader Sushmita Dev said, "We had said that we will go only till Lailapur market, we will not go to the border. But we were stopped 5 km before."

Taking a dig at Congress, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “The occupation of Assam's land by other states so far has happened during the tenure of Congress governments.”

‘The Situation is Tense’: Cachar SP

Cachar Superintendent of Police (SP) Nimbalkar Vaibhav Chandrakant was injured in the violence and is currently recovering in a hospital in Mumbai.

Following Chandrakant’s injury, Hailakandi SP Ramandeep Kaur was transferred and posted as the new SP in Cachar district, which had witnessed violence on its border with Mizoram.

Kaur told ANI, “The situation is tense, talks are being held at the senior level. CRPF as a neutral force is deployed at the border.”

“Assam and Mizoram forces are respectively at their positions. Only the residents of the area are allowed to move. It is a conflict zone and for everyone it is the same thing. Our own CM yesterday didn't move to the conflict zone.”

Cachar SP Ramandeep Kaur

What Happened on 26 July?

Five policemen were reported to have been killed and over 50 persons injured in the violent clashes that erupted around the Assam-Mizoram border on Monday, 26 July, a press release issued by the Assam government read.

• The Assam government said that in a breach of the existing agreements, the Mizoram government had begun the construction of a road towards Rengti Basti in Assam, destroying the Inner Line Reserve Forest in Lailapur area.

• The Mizoram government, on the other hand, claimed that 200 Assam Police personnel had forced their way past a post defended by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) as well as the Mizoram Police and damaged vehicles on the National Highway.

The tension along the border was fuelled by another incident that took place in June this year, when Assam police allegedly seized Mizoram's Aitlang hnar.

(With inputs from ANI)