Assam-Mizoram border dispute
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Mizoram government has submitted to the Assam government a list of villages along the Assam-Mizoram border, over which the neighbouring state has made territorial claims. These villages fall under the Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi districts of Assam. Mizoram handed over the list of villages as per the decision taken during a meeting held between the governments of both states on November 17, 2022 to resolve the border dispute amicably.
In the crucial meeting, the Assam side was led by Border Protection and Development Minister Atul Bora while the Mizoram side was led by Home Minister Lalchamliana. In the meeting, it was decided that the Mizoram government would furnish the list of villages, their areas, geo-spatial extent, ethnicity of the people, and other relevant information within three months to support their claim on the villages. The claim will be examined by setting up Regional Committees from both sides to arrive at an amicable resolution of the vexed border issue.
Both sides agreed to abide by the resolutions encapsulated in the Joint Statement of August 5, 2021 signed in Aizawl. Both sides also agreed to continue their resolve to maintain peace and harmony on the inter-state border among communities living on both sides to further strengthen their age-old ties.
Sources said that the Border Protection and Development Department, Government of Assam, has forwarded the list of villages submitted by Mizoram to the Deputy Commissioners of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi for verification and detailed clarity.
Talking to The Sentinel, Border Protection and Development Minister Atul Bora said, “The Assam government led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is keen to resolve all border disputes with neighbouring states in an amicable manner. Meetings, including Chief Ministerial-level talks, have been held between Assam and Mizoram to settle the border issue.
“In the last meeting, it was decided that the Mizoram government will hand us a list of villages over which it has made claims. We are hopeful that the border row with Mizoram will be resolved with cooperation between both states.”
Sources said that talks between Assam and Mizoram began soon after the Lailapur incident of 2021 in which six Assam Police personnel were killed in an exchange of fire between the police forces of both states at Lailapur in the Cachar district. Sources further said that the Assam Government will not lay claim to any village, it will only verify the claims of Mizoram.
Assam and Mizoram share a boundary of 164.6 km (Survey of India). According to Assam government statistics, a total of 3675.7800 hectares of land in Assam have been encroached upon by Mizoram.
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