Aizawl: Mizoram Home Minister K. Sapdanga on Wednesday reiterated that the state’s boundary with Assam is based on the notification issued in 1875, following recent tensions along the inter-state border.
Addressing the first day of the monsoon assembly session, Sapdanga said Mizoram recognizes the areas demarcated in the “Inner Line on the Southern Frontier of the District of Cachar”, notified on August 20, 1875, as its official boundary with Assam. In contrast, Assam claims the border according to a Survey of India map prepared in 1933.
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The home minister highlighted that both states have held over 10 official discussions since 1988 to amicably resolve the longstanding dispute. The most recent official-level talks took place in Guwahati on April 25, with a new round proposed to be held in Mizoram, though the date has yet to be finalized.
Sapdanga added that the Mizoram government has formed a study team to gather key documents to support the state’s claim and has constructed and maintained border roads, though some have been temporarily closed to prevent violations of previous agreements.
Tensions escalated on August 15 when Assam police and forest officials reportedly damaged approximately 290 rubber plants in Saikhawthlir village in Mamit district, an area claimed by both states. The situation was later defused through coordination between district officials and police from both sides.
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Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma recently said he spoke with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and both agreed to continue maintaining the status quo along the disputed areas.
Three Mizoram districts—Aizawl, Kolasib, and Mamit—share a 164.6 km border with Assam districts Cachar, Sribhumi, and Hailakandi.
The dispute stems from conflicting colonial-era demarcations: the 1875 notification under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation and the 1933 Survey of India map. Past clashes have sometimes turned violent, including a 2021 confrontation near Vairengte village that killed seven, including six Assam policemen.
Since August 2021, the two states have conducted multiple ministerial-level talks and official negotiations, with the latest agreement in April affirming the status quo along disputed territories and promising expedited responses to Mizoram’s claims.