Assam and Mizoram Resume Talks on Long-Standing Border Dispute

AIZAWL: Assam and Mizoram are poised to resume discussions at the chief ministerial level regarding their enduring border dispute. Sources indicate that Assam has extended a proposal to Mizoram for a fourth round of talks, although Mizoram has yet to respond.

This dispute, which has persisted for years, has witnessed three previous rounds of ministerial-level discussions and numerous virtual meetings between the two neighboring states.

Mizoram's home minister, Lalchamliana, previously disclosed that Mizoram lays claim to 62 villages situated along its border with Assam, asserting them as part of its territory within the inner line reserved forest, as outlined in the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation of 1875. This claim was formally submitted to the Assam government in February.

In contrast, Assam contends that its constitutional boundary aligns with a map produced by the Survey of India in 1933, which designates a different border. The disputed region spans three districts in each state, and tensions over this boundary dispute led to a tragic incident on July 26, 2021, in which seven people, including six Assam policemen, lost their lives, and around 60 others were injured.

Following this incident, the two states initiated high-level delegation talks in August 2021 to address the contentious border issue. During the most recent talks in Guwahati in November of the preceding year, both delegations agreed that Mizoram would provide a list of villages, their areas, geospatial details, and demographic information within three months to bolster its claim. Regional committees from both states were set up to examine this data and seek a harmonious resolution to the dispute.

In January, the Mizoram government formed a study group and subsequently submitted its claim in the following month. Moreover, Mizoram's chief minister, Zoramthanga, and his Assam counterpart, Himanta Biswa Sarma, convened twice in New Delhi, once in November 2021 and again in September the following year, in pursuit of an amicable resolution to this persistent border dispute.

This renewed commitment to dialogue signifies a positive step forward in the ongoing efforts to find a mutually acceptable solution to the Assam-Mizoram border issue.

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