AIZAWL: Lt Gen RC Tiwari, chief of the Indian Army’s eastern command, conducted high-level meetings on Tuesday (May 21) with Mizoram governor Hari Babu Kambhampati and chief minister Lalduhoma to address the security situation along the borders with Myanmar and the operational preparedness of the Assam Rifles.
A Mizoram government official reported that Lt Gen Tiwari, accompanied by senior Army officers, met with governor Kambhampati at the Raj Bhawan.
They discussed the prevailing security concerns along the India-Myanmar border in Mizoram and the readiness of the Assam Rifles to handle these challenges.
“The Army officers briefed the governor on the Assam Rifles’ operational preparedness to address the challenges along the frontiers,” the official stated.
Lt Gen Tiwari also met with Mizoram chief minister Lalduhoma at the civil secretariat, where they discussed border security and related issues.
The Mizoram chief minister later stated: “Today, I met Lt Gen RC Tiwari, the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command. We discussed increasing local use of the AR ground, developing the Zokhawsang bypass road for farmers, and addressing drug-related activities, among other topics, to improve coordination.”
Mizoram shares a 510 km border with Myanmar and a 318 km border with Bangladesh.
The Assam Rifles guard the Myanmar border, while the Border Security Force (BSF) secures the Bangladesh border.
Since the military coup in Myanmar in February 2021, over 34,350 refugees from Myanmar’s Chin state have fled to Mizoram.
Additionally, due to ethnic conflicts in Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts, 1433 tribals have sought refuge in Mizoram since November 2022.
The smuggling of drugs and other contraband remains rampant along the India-Myanmar border.
In response to the vulnerability of these borders across Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram, the Central government has decided to fence the frontiers to eliminate the Free Movement Regime (FMR).
This move has been met with strong opposition from the Mizoram and Nagaland governments, along with various political parties and organizations.
The situation continues to develop as local and national authorities seek solutions to these complex security challenges.