Axom Nagarik Samaj, a civil society organisation of Assam, has sought withdrawal of the economic blockade against Mizoram with immediate effect and ensure free flow of supplies to the neighbouring state.
The organisation made the appeal after a meeting organised in Guwahati on Saturday
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The meeting had a threadbare discussion on the incident at the Assam-Mizoram border.
In a statement, issued after the meeting, the organisation said: “We appeal to all concerned that the economic blockade should be withdrawn immediately and free flow of supplies ensured so that common people in Mizoram don’t suffer.”
“We are greatly disturbed by the recent incident of violence in the Assam-Mizoram border. It is surprising that the state machineries of two states of the same country can indulge in such kind of a clash. It defies all logic and principles of civilised governance,” the statement said.
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“This clash resulted in the death of six Assam Police personnel and one civilian. We mourn their death and condemn it outrightly,” the statement, issued by Harekrishna Deka, president, Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, executive president, Prasanta Rajguru vice-president and Paresh Malakar, general secretary, reads.
“It is a failure on the part of the Centre that it couldn’t stop the escalation of violence at the border between the security forces of two neighbouring states,” the organisation stated.
Following the clash, all vehicles carrying supplies, life-saving drugs and even Covid vaccines to Mizoram are being stopped at the border, which has created a dire scarcity of supplies in Mizoram, it claimed.
The organisation alleged that the Assam government and the Centre have not done anything to remove the blockade till date.
“This is a matter of grave concern for all of us,” it said.
The organisation demanded that the Assam-Mizoram border dispute be resolved through a process of negotiations, taking all the stakeholders into confidence.
“Economic blockade is no solution,” it said adding that the economic blockade is withdrawn immediately for paving way for the free flow of supplies to Mizoram.
The matter of border disputes among the states in the Northeast has become a recurring thing.
To resolve the border disputes, “we must view it in its historical perspective and colonial legacy. We must also be sympathetic and considerate to all the sides affected by it,” the organisation said.
“Each state in the Northeast has its distinctive culture. We have differences, but we also have common cultural threads and a shared past. We must resolve our differences and disputes through negotiations and mutual understanding without undermining each other’s interest,” it said.
“If we fail to do that the so-called mainstream India may intervene in our disputes and try to coerce us through their domineering tactics and interfere with our autonomy. Such tell-tale signs are already there. We belong to India and we uphold the true spirit of federalism,” the civil society organisation further said.
“But under no circumstances, we should surrender our autonomy for which mutual trust, solidarity and understanding among us is imperative,” it added.