Aizawl: The Mizoram government has sent a written request to the Assam government to defer the upcoming border talks between the two neighbouring states slated for November 4 in view of President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to the northeastern state, a senior official said on Friday.
Home department additional secretary Lalhriatpuia said they proposed the talks be deferred to November 9 -11 based on the instruction of chief minister Zoramthanga.
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Murmu will arrive in Aizawl on November 3 on a two-day visit.
She will attend the convocation of Mizoram University (MZU) and inaugurate the Indian Institute of Mass Communication North Eastern Regional campus in Aizawl on November 3.
She will also address the state assembly on November 4.
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Lalhriatpuia said that they have sent a letter to the Assam government on Thursday requesting for postponement of the border talks, which was scheduled to be held in Guwahati on November 4.
“We have proposed the talks to be held during November 9 to 11 due to the upcoming visit of the President. We are waiting for a response from the Assam government, which will fix the new date,” he said.
He said that the Mizoram delegation will be headed by home minister Lalchamliana, who is likely to be accompanied by land revenue and settlement minister Lalruatkima or forest minister T.J. Lalnuntluanga.
The delegation would also include home commissioner and secretary H. Lalengmawia and other top officials of the department, he said.
Another home official said that the upcoming talk with Assam is called the ‘real or crucial talk’ where the real boundary issue will be discussed in length for the first time.
The earlier two meetings held in Aizawl were goodwill missions or part of confidence-building measures, he said.
He said that the Mizoram government has officially forwarded its claim to its Assam counterpart and ground demarcation of the inter-state boundary would be one of the main subjects during the parleys.
“There is no ground demarcation between Mizoram and Assam. We have approved an ‘approach paper’ citing the inner line reserved forest notified in 1875 as ‘our stand’ to be tabled during the talks. Ground demarcation will be one of the main topics,” the official, who refused to be named, said.
Although he was optimistic about the upcoming talks, the official said that the border talks between the two states might take time to reach a final solution.
Three Mizoram districts- Aizawl, Mamit and Kolasib share a 164.6 km long inter-state boundary with Assam’s Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi districts.
The border dispute between the two neighbouring states is a long pending and vexed issue, which stemmed from two colonial demarcations of 1875 and 1933.
While Mizoram regarded the inner line reserve forest notified in 1875 as its historical boundary, Assam accepted the survey of India’s map in 1933 as its constitutional boundary.
Violent clashes took place in the disputed area near Vairengte village on National Highway – 306 in July last year leading to the death of six policemen and a civilian from Assam when forces of both states exchanged fire.
Subsequently, both states agreed to resolve the border disputes through dialogue thereby maintaining peace along the inter-state border.
Both delegations held their first meeting on August 5 last year and their second round of meeting on August 9 this year.
Both sides had also held five virtual meetings so far.
Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma had also met twice in New Delhi from last year to find an amicable solution to the border dispute.