Sushmita Dev sends missive to Sarbananda Sonowal on border conflict

Special Correspondent

Silchar: Ex MP and president of Mahila Morcha Sushmita Dev after going round the affected areas of Lailapur, Khulicherra and Titli on Assam-Mizoram border in an e-mail missive to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday expressed serious concern at the recurrence of such border clashes resulting in sufferings of the residents, poor and helpless and demanded high official level talks of both the States to resolve the dispute amicably and evolve a lasting solution for restoration of peace and harmony. Even after the visit of G D Tripathi, Home Secretary, and Mukesh Agarwal, DGP (Border) and their insistence on confidence building measures with their counterparts of Mizoram, there is hardly any change on the ground. Border residents of Assam continue to live in shock and trauma as narrated by the affected people to media persons.

Sushmita Dev has urged upon the Chief Minister to seek intervention of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister in the highly sensitive and volatile issue. Dulal Mitra, a frontline leader of CPI (M), is sceptical about permanent solution since for decades the border dispute between the two states has been hanging fire. After every incident on the frontiers of Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj, district and high level talks are held with Mizoram counterparts only to fizzle out like bubbles in the air. Records will show Mizo miscreants backed by MZP and YMA and armed police have always advantage.

Nothing can be more unfortunate than efforts of the Assam police with the help of forest personnel to set up a permanent camp on Assam land for keeping watch on the situation in the Chiragi-Shingla forest range of Karimganj district which was not allowed by the IR Bn of Mizoram. For the flare ups on the border areas without any resistance from Assam side, Sushmita Dev has blamed it on intelligence failure. AIUDF Cachar district president, Sarimul Haque Barbhuiya, regretted that even after 48 hours of the rampage by Mizo miscreants, no relief from the administration has reached the victims. He pleaded for restoring normalcy on priority basis and questioned why repeated assaults from Mizoram side. Talks are in the air by some hardcore organisations for economic blockade against Mizoram. This can't but have wide ranging impact on both the states.

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