A day after the belligerent states- Mizoram and Assam agreed to deploy neutral Central forces to defuse escalated tension along the inter-state boundary, the Mizoram government on Thursday alleged “mobilisation” and “reinforcement” of state armed forces by the neighbouring state along the inter-state border and sought the Centre’s intervention to pull back the contingent.
In a crash letter sent to Union Home additional secretary in charge of Northeast on Thursday, Mizoram home secretary Lalbiaksangi said a large contingent of Assam police personnel are being mobilized at the Mizoram-Assam border.
Besides, armed police personnel of Assam are also being mobilized at Dholai and Hawaithang areas in Cachar district near the disturbed area where violent clash and exchange of firing between the two state forces took place recently, she said.
Quoting reports in a section of media, the Mizoram home secretary also said that 4 platoons of black panther commandos were part of the reinforcement.
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She said that mobilization and heavy deployment of armed forces at the time of tensed situation along the inter-state border is objectionable and will lead to panic among people on both sides of the border.
“In view of the tensed inter-state border situation at present, mobilization of a large contingent of police at the inter-state border by Assam is quite objectionable and will lead to apprehensions and panic to the people on both sides of the states,” the letter reads.
The Mizoram home secretary urged the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to issue appropriate instructions to the Assam government to refrain from such alleged reinforcement and pull back the contingent being allegedly deployed along the inter-state boundary in order to avoid further conflict and violent faceoff.
Earlier on Tuesday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that his government would deploy about 4,000 commandos along the state border with Mizoram.
Mizoram home minister Lalchamliana had also said that additional state forces have been deployed along the inter-state boundary.
However, during a meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla in Delhi on Wednesday, both the state governments had agreed to deploy neutral forces of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) on the disturbed areas under the supervision of the MHA.
Meawnhile, Kolasib Deputy Commissioner H. Lalthlangliana said that more CAPF personnel have been already deployed in the border areas.
He said that the situation along the inter-state border is calm now.
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He further stated that both states have also still deployed their own forces near the inter-state border.
Mizoram shares about 164.6 km with neighbouring Assam.
At least seven people, including 6 cops, were killed and more than 50 injured in a violent clash and firing between forces of the two states on the outskirts of Vairengte in Mizoram’s Kolasib district and near Lailapur in Assam on July 26.