Spell out steps taken in 3 weeks: Gauhati HC to Assam Govt, Mizoram & Centre

GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court on Thursday gave three-week time to the Assam government, the Mizoram government and the Centre to spell out as to what measures they have taken to resolve the border skirmishes between the two neighbouring States.

A Division Bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Suman Shyam gave this direction while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (70/2020) filed by Dhrubajyoti Talukdar expressing concern over the encroachment of Assam land by people from Mizoram. The Bench wanted to know as to what measures have been taken by the three parties – the Centre and the State governments of Assam and Mizoram to quell the clashes.

During the hearing, the counsel representing the Mizoram government sought three weeks to file its the affidavit, so did Assam. The Bench then said that the "Assistant Solicitor General of India shall also apprise this Court as to what steps the Union of India has taken within three weeks by filing an affidavit with proper verification of the pleading".

In October 2020, there were border skirmishes at Lailapur in Cachar along its border with Mizoram. A local person of Lailapur was killed in the skirmishes.

There is an agreement between Assam and Mizoram to maintain status quo in no man's land along the inter-State the border between them.

It is alleged that the border skirmishes erupted when a few local residents of Lailapur were erecting huts at the no man's land, a group of Mizos broke and burnt the houses. However, citing land records the Government of Assam claimed that the land "belongs to Assam".

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal took up the matter directly with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. An MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) team held two rounds of Chief Secretary-level meetings with Assam and Mizoram to bring the situation under control. Now though the situation along the inter-State border is normal, it is tense.

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