Aizawl: The Mizoram government submitted its claim regarding its state boundary, including a list of villages and other relevant information, to the Assam government, as announced by state home minister Lalchamliana on Wednesday.
Three districts of Mizoram, namely Aizawl, Kolasib, and Mamit, share a 164.6 km long border with Assam. Following a border dispute in July 2021, the two neighboring states have engaged in talks to reach a peaceful resolution.
In the previous border talks held in Guwahati in November of the preceding year, both delegations had agreed that Mizoram would provide a list of villages, their areas, geo-spatial extent, ethnicity of the inhabitants, and other pertinent information within three months. This information would support Mizoram’s claim, which would then be examined by regional committees from both sides, aiming to find an agreeable solution to the contentious border issues.
Lalchamliana conveyed to the assembly on Wednesday that the Mizoram government had submitted its claim regarding its territory, villages, and the ethnicity of the people inhabiting that area to the Assam government on February 13. Furthermore, the Mizoram government had written to the Assam government, seeking clarification on the claim, and is currently awaiting a response.
Responding to a question from the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) member Vanlaltanpuia, the home minister noted that the state government had established multiple permanent and temporary border outposts along the state border with Assam following the firing incident in July 2021.
Since the firing incident, high-level delegations from Mizoram and Assam, each led by one minister from their respective states, have engaged in three rounds of talks to resolve the border dispute. Additionally, three virtual minister-level meetings and three rounds of meetings at the district administration level have taken place between the two states.
Underlining the measures implemented by the state government, Lalchamliana emphasised that a boundary committee, involving all political parties and NGOs, was formed in June 2021 to address the border issue. Furthermore, a study group was established in February of the current year to research and gather pertinent information concerning the state border.
Lalchamliana had previously stated that Mizoram had claimed at least 62 villages in the disputed area as falling within its boundary. These villages are situated within the extent of the inner line reserved forest, as designated by the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) of 1875.
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The border dispute between Mizoram and Assam is a long-standing and contentious issue that has persisted for decades. While Mizoram asserts its actual boundary to encompass 509 square miles of the inner line reserved forest under the BEFR, Assam bases its constitutional boundary on the map prepared by the Survey of India in 1933. This has led to a situation where considerable areas within the inner line reserved forest now fall under Assam’s jurisdiction, and conversely, a certain extent of area, according to the 1933 demarcation, now lies within Mizoram’s territory.
The border dispute escalated on July 26, 2021, when police forces from both states exchanged gunfire, resulting in the deaths of six policemen and a civilian from Assam. The violent clash also left over 60 individuals injured from both sides.
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