Official level talks held between Assam-Mizoram to amicably resolve border flare up

To build confidence and amicably resolve the border flare-up that broke out recently, officials from Assam and Mizoram held talks at Lailapur in Cachar district close to the inter-state border on Monday. The officials of both states decided to take immediate steps for movement of stranded trucks along the inter-state border.

Silchar (Assam): Officials of Assam and Mizoram held talks on Monday at Lailapur in Cachar district close to the inter-state border where a violent clash left many people injured.

Cachar's Superintendent of Police Bhanwar Lal Meena led the Assam delegation in the talks with Mizoram's Kolasib police chief Vanlalfaka Ralte at the beat office in Lailapur, officials said.

Both sides resolved to ensure that peace and tranquillity prevailed along the inter-state border, an Assam government statement said.

The officials decided to go for confidence-building measures to restore lasting peace along the border and also take immediate steps for movement of stranded trucks and provide point-to-point escort.

Efforts were on to ensure hassle-free movement of trucks till the late evening hours, Assam officials said.

Mizoram's Additional Secretary for Home Ramdinliani told a news agency that the states' chief secretary, Lalnunmawia Chuaungo, convened a meeting with Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA) and student bodies in the afternoon, asking them to give safety assurance to truckers coming from outside the state.

She said that truckers could not enter the state over the fear of being attacked as they were allegedly being threatened by some people with vested interests.

Following the meeting, CYMA and two student bodies -- Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) and Mizo Students' Union -- issued a statement, assuring the truckers of protection and safety in Mizoram.

Ramdinliani said that 300 trucks started their journey back to Assam from Mizoram in the evening while trucks carrying essential commodities are yet to enter the state.

Assam's DGP Special (Border) Mukesh Agarwal, who is camping in the troubled area, said concerted efforts are on to ensure movement of trucks stranded on the Assam side of the border.

The truckers' association also took part in the meeting held between the district officials of the two states and was urged to resume services to reduce the hardship of peoples of both the states, the Assam government said.

Agarwal told reporters that the border issue has to be resolved through a conciliatory approach and not confrontation.

He said that though it may take time to resolve the row as it has to go through a certain process and mechanism, he exuded optimism over a solution being found at the highest level.

Agarwal said the priority is to defuse the tension along the inter-state border and to restore complete normalcy.

He appealed to the people living on both sides of the border to maintain the bonhomie and camaraderie that exist between them.

There was no further trouble in the area that saw torching of houses and stalls, following stone-pelting by people armed with sticks and dao, officials said.

The clash took place on Saturday night between the people of the two states, following which security personnel, including those of the Indian Reserve Battalion, were deployed in the violence-hit areas near the Vairengte village in Mizoram and Lailapur in Assam, they said.

Clashes broke out as a large number of Vairengte residents assembled in the area when some people from Assam pelted stones at a group near the auto-rickshaw stand on the outskirts of the border village on Saturday evening, they said.

The irate mob from Vairengte retaliated and set on fire about 20 temporary bamboo huts and stalls built along the national highway by residents of Lailapur despite a prohibitory order being in place, they added.

With tension running high along the border, the Centre asked both the state governments to resolve their border dispute amicably and restore peace, officials said.

The chief ministers of Assam and Mizoram, Sarbananda Sonowal and Zoramthanga, also discussed the issue and agreed to work for bringing peace in the violence-hit area.

Sonowal also briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah and apprised them of the steps taken to restore peace along the Assam-Mizoram border.

During his video conference with chief secretaries of the two states, Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla urged the state governments to restore normalcy, an official said.

Ramdinliani said Bhalla urged the Mizoram government to reduce security deployment in the border areas when Assam chief secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna urged the neighbouring state to withdraw its forces.

It was decided at the meeting that both the states will take steps to enhance district-level coordination to prevent any future standoff, she said.

(With inputs from agencies)