The border clashes that was witnessed at Bairabialong along Assam-Mizoram border, in March last year, seems to be heading for a fresh one now.
Mizoram’s apex and most influential student body, the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), said on Tuesday, it will construct a resting shed if Assam continues to construct a mosque at Zophai near Bairabi town along the Assam-Mizoram border.
MZP president L Ramdinliana Renthlei informed that the students’ body resolved to make yet another attempt to construct a resting shed at the disputed area if measures are not taken to stop the ongoing mosque construction by Assam, in an executive meeting on Tuesday.
“The members at the meeting expressed sheer disappointment for the ongoing construction of mosque at Zophai at a time the students’ body could not construct a resting shed there,” said MZP president.
“MZP has once again appealed to the state government to take measures to ensure that the ongoing construction of mosque by Assam is halted,” informed Renthlei.
He also added, “Our students’ body has not taken any drastic steps as of now to stop the construction of the mosque on the disputed area as a meeting is scheduled to be held on September 6 next with the core committee on border issues,” said Ramdinliana Renthlei.
“The MZP also appealed to the core committee to take speedy action so that the mosque construction is stopped at the earliest,” he said.
It may be mentioned here that tension erupted at Zophai in March last year when MZP functionaries attempted to re-construct the resting shed, which was destroyed by Assam Police.
More than 60 people, including journalists, were allegedly beatenup when Assam Police resorted to lathi-charge and gun fire to disperse the protesting students, informed Renthlei.
The border tension was defused when the Centre intervened in the matter and a secretary level talks of Assam and Mizoram was held in New Delhi in March last year with Centre directing both the state governments to maintain status quo on the disputed land.