To resolve border row, Assam, Mizoram CMs to meet

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Guwahati,
Aug
11:
Mizoram
and
Assam
will
hold
chief
minister-level
talks
in
New
Delhi
later
this
month
or
early
September
to
find
an
amicable
solution
to
the
inter-state
border
dispute,
according
to
an
official
statement
issued
here
on
Wednesday.

The
development
came
a
day
after
the
two
northeastern
states
held
a
ministerial-level
discussion
to
resolve
the
decades-old
boundary
dispute.

Two
Assam
ministers
Atul
Bora
and
Ashok
Singhal
on
Wednesday
met
Mizoram
Chief
Minister
Zoramthanga
and
discussed
the
border
issue,
a
PTI
report
said.

Assam
becoming
hotbed
of
Jihadi
activities:
Sarma

During
the
meeting
with
Assam
ministers,
Zoramthanga
spoke
to
his
counterpart
in
the
neighbouring
state
Himanta
Biswa
Sarma
and
“both
agreed
to
have
chief
minister-level
talks
in
Delhi
in
the
last
part
of
August
or
early
September”,
the
statement
said.

Zoramthanga
told
the
visiting
Assam
ministers
that
his
government
would
make
efforts
to
amicably
resolve
the
border
disputes.

He
laid
emphasis
on
the
importance
of
mutual
trust
and
understanding
between
the
two
states.

The
chief
minister
said
the
border
dispute
between
Mizoram
and
Assam
“can’t
be
resolved
overnight
or
at
one
time”
but
measures
should
be
taken
to
find
solutions
to
the
problems
step
by
step.

Assam
ministers
said
they
have
strong
faith
in
Zoramthanga,
who
has
vast
political
experience.

They
assured
Zoramthanga
that
the
Assam
government
would
take
steps
to
resolve
the
border
dispute
in
such
a
manner,
which
is
acceptable
to
the
people
of
both
states.

A
ministerial-level
discussion
was
held
on
Tuesday
in
Aizawl
during
which
both
the
states
agreed
to
maintain
peace
and
prevent
any
untoward
incident
along
the
border.

The
two
states
signed
a
joint
statement,
in
which
they
proposed
to
hold
meetings
of
deputy
commissioners
of
bordering
districts
at
least
once
in
two
months.

Both
states
also
agreed
that
economic
activities,
including
farming,
which
have
been
practised
by
the
people
on
either
side
of
the
borders
should
not
be
disturbed.

The
two
delegations
also
agreed
to
hold
the
next
round
of
ministerial-level
talks
at
Guwahati
in
October.

Three Mizoram’s districts – Aizawl, Kolasib and Mamit – share a 164.6-km long boundary with Assam’s Hailakandi, Karimganj and Cachar districts.

The
border
dispute
between
the
two
states
is
a
long-standing
issue,
which
stemmed
from
two
colonial
demarcations-
1875
and
1933.

The
decades-old
boundary
dispute
between
the
two
northeastern
states
mainly
stemmed
from
two
colonial
demarcations
in
1875
and
1933.

Mizoram
accepted
the
demarcation
under
the
Bengal
Eastern
Frontier
Regulation
(BERF)
notified
in
1875,
which
covers
vast
stretches
of
area,
now
falling
under
Assam,
as
its
actual
boundary.

The
Assam
government,
however,
said
the
demarcation
made
under
the
1933
notification
was
its
constitution
boundary.

At
least
six
policemen
and
a
civilian
from
Assam
died
last
year
and
around
60
people
were
injured
in
a
clash
that
took
place
at
a
disputed
area
near
the
border
between
the
two
states.