The Assam and Mizoram governments on Wednesday agreed to settle the current border dispute and stress inter-state coordination to avert future standoff during district management level meeting held in view of the recent conflict triggered by the torching of a farmhouse allegedly by Assam officials on the disputed areas claimed by both the states, an official said.
The meeting held at Kanhmun village was attended by Mamit district deputy commissioner Lalrozama, Assam’s Karimganj district deputy commissioner Anbamuthan MP, and police officials, forest officers, district administration officials and other important officials of both the states.
The official said that the meeting was held under a conducive atmosphere with both sides committing to settle the present border dispute.
He said that representatives of both the governments taking part at the meeting have agreed to put the boundary issue before higher authorities of their respective state governments in order to resolve the border dispute at the earliest.
Among others, the meeting also decided to set up police outposts by both sides on the disputed areas where the border standoff took place recently and will make efforts to establish inter-state coordination in order to avoid standoff in the future and establish peace and tranquillity in the border areas, the official said.
Terming the recent incident near Thinghlun village “unfortunate,” Lalrozama said it could jeopardise the good relationship between the two states.
He asked his Assam’s Karimganj counterpart Anbamuthan MP to nab those involved in the torching of farm hut and destruction of plantations and take disciplinary action against them.
The deputy commissioners also told Assam officials that Thinghlun village has been occupied by the Mizos, who used to practice cultivations in the vicinity from time immemorial.
While expressing sadness over the recent incident on the disputed land, Anbamuthan MP on his part informed Mizoram officials that the area falls under the jurisdiction of Singla Forest Reserve in Karimganj district and asked them to respect their authority.
The decades-old border dispute between Mizoram and Assam resurfaced on October 9 when officials of Karimganj district, forest department and Assam police allegedly set fire on a farmhouse owned by John Zolawma of Thinghlun village in Mamit district.
Mizoram officials alleged that many plantations, including over 1,000 betel nut plants, were also destroyed by Assam officials.
Mizoram shares 164.6km inter-state border with Assam.
Several dialogues held since 1995 to resolve the border dispute have yielded little result.
Meanwhile, state’s apex student body, Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) on Wednesday organised mass community work and reconstructed the farm hut owned by John Zolawma of Thinghlun village in Mamit district, which was allegedly torched by Assam’s Karimganj district administration, police and officials of forest department on October 9.