AIZAWL: The state governments of Assam and Mizoram, on Tuesday signed a joint statement to resolve the decades-long border disputes amicably through dialogue.
“A joint statement has been signed between Assam and Mizoram to resolve the border siputes between the two states,” Assam minister Atul Bora, who was part of the Assam delegation said at a joint press conference.
According to the joint statement, deputy commissioners of bordering districts of both Assam and Mizoram would meet every two months to take stock of situation in the border areas.
Assam minister Atul Bora further informed that the next meeting between Assam and Mizoram over border issues will be held in Guwahati in October.
“Border issues and claims between Assam and Mizoram will be discussed in the next meeting,” said Assam minister Atul Bora informed.
Bora added: “Assam and Mizoram CM are very keen to resolve the vexed border issue.”
Meanwhile, Mizoram home minister Lalchamliana, who represented Mizoram in the talks with the Assam delegation in Tuesday’s talks stressed that “give and take policy is the basic component of any discussions like this (border talks)”.
“We hope that the next meeting in Guwahati will be a step forward towards resolving this vexed border disputes issue,” Mizoram home minister Lalchamliana said.
The Assam-Mizoram border talks were be held at Aijal Club in Aizawl.
The Mizoram and Assam delegations had met in August last year to find a lasting solution to the vexed border issue after a violent clash in July.
The August meeting was followed by two rounds of virtual meetings.
In the virtual meeting held in early April, both teams agreed to lift up the talks to a high level and Assam was entrusted to frame modalities for the next talks.
Mizoram shares a 164.6 km long inter-state boundary with Assam, which has seen flare-up several times in recent years.
The decades-old boundary dispute between Mizoram and Assam mainly stemmed from two colonial demarcations in 1875 and 1933.
While Mizoram accepted the demarcation under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BERF) notified in 1875, which covers vast stretches of area now falling under Assam, as its actual boundary, the Assam government said that the demarcations made under the 1933 notification was its constitution boundary.
On July 26 last year, a violent clash took place at the disputed area near Vairengte town on the NH-306 when police forces of both states exchanged fire.
At least six policemen and a civilian from Assam had died and around 60 people were injured in the clash.
Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma had met over the border issue in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi in November last year and agreed to form panels of their own involving all stakeholders to resolve the border dispute through dialogue.
Toward this end, both leaders had also agreed to have chief minister-level talks from time to time.