Six personnel of the Assam Police died “defending the constitutional boundary” of the state at the Mizoram border, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday, in an ugly turn to a festering border dispute between the two northeastern states.
Local media reports said about 50 Assam police personnel were admitted to a hospital in Silchar with some of them suffering serious injuries.
Tension has continued to flare along the Assam-Mizoram border after six police personnel were killed and around 80 people injured, so far.
On Monday, stones were pelted, shots were fired, farmers’ huts were set ablaze, and government vehicles vandalised at the Mizoram and Assam border.
The clash between the two states took place after Union Home Minister Amit Shah returned from Meghalaya by completing his two-day visit to the region during the weekend where he held a closed-door meeting with chief ministers of the northeast states.
In that meeting, Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga had said border disputes in the northeast are a legacy of the colonial era and lasting peace between states is important for further development of the region.
Speaking on the border dispute with Assam at the CM’s meeting, Zoramthanga said the area claimed by the latter has been used by people from Mizoram for over 100 years.
Zoramthanga further requested the Assam government to respect and honour the situation on the ground and desist from disturbing the peace.
A clipping shared by Zoramthanga on Twitter showed police trying to stop a clash among men armed with sticks.
In reply to the tweet, Assam Police said miscreants from Mizoram were indulging in stone-pelting and attacking Assam government officials stationed at Lailapur to protect Assam’s land from encroachment.
Assam Chief Minister Hemant Biswa Sarma shared a clipping and said a superintendent of police from Mizoram was asking Assam’s officials to withdraw from their post, failing which civilians from the neighbouring state would not stop the violence. He also sought immediate intervention of Shah and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
Soon after, Zoramthanga wrote to Sarma, “After a cordial meeting of CMs (chaired) by Shah, two companies of Assam Police with civilians lathi-charged and tear-gassed civilians at Vairengte Auto Rickshaw stand inside Mizoram today. They even overrun CRPF personnel/Mizoram Police.”
Zoramthanga shared another video with which he wrote that an innocent couple were “manhandled and ransacked by thugs and goons” on their way back to Mizoram via Cachar in Assam. “How are you going to justify these violent acts?” he wrote.
“40 people injured including 3-4 civilians. As per doctors, 6 policemen have died. The Chief Minister has directed State Minister Pijush Hazarika to visit the border area,” said the BJP MLA.
