Dispur (Assam): The Assam government on Tuesday announced a three-day state mourning in the honour of the five Assam cops and a civilian who were killed in violent clashes at Lailapur along the Assam-Mizoram border by some miscreants from the Mizoram side on Monday. During this period, the national flag will fly at half-mast and there will be no public entertainment, the order issued by the General Administration Department said.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday visited Silchar Medical College and Hospital to meet police personnel who were injured in the border clash. The CM directed the doctors to ensure the best treatment to the injured police personnel and shift the seriously injured for better treatment by air ambulance on priority. He laid wreath and paid tribute to the policemen who lost their lives in the clash yesterday, in Silchar.
In view of border tensions with Mizoram, the Assam government on Monday urged the neighbouring state to restrain its "people and Police personnel" from indulging in "wanton violence" and work towards restoring peace. In a release, the Assam government said that in "another breach" of existing agreements and the existing status quo, Mizoram began constructing a road towards Rengti Basti in Assam, "destroying the Inner Line Reserve Forest in Lailapur area."
Read: 7 police and paramilitary personnel killed in fresh clashes along Assam-Mizoram border
"Simultaneously, the Mizoram side also set up a new armed camp on a hillock next to the camp of the neutral force, CRPF, in the same vicinity. In an attempt to diffuse the situation and resolve matters, a team of Assam officials including an IGP, DIG, DC Cachar, SP Cachar and DFO Cachar went to the area this morning to request the Mizoram side not to disturb the status quo. Sadly, however, they were surrounded and attacked by a mob of miscreants from the Mizoram side, which was visibly supported by the Mizoram Police," the Assam government said.
"The IGP was injured in this barrage. In the afternoon. SP Kolasib along with two Additional SP level Officers held a discussion with the Assam delegation, during which they were requested to control the mob and not let them take the law in their hands, thus disturbing the peace. The Mizoram officials went ostensibly to talk to the mob, but the SP Kolasib returned again around 4:30 pm to state that he had no control over the mob," the release stated, adding that while SP, Kolasib was in talks with the Assam officers, the Mizoram Police opened fire on the Assam officials and civilians, who had by then gathered there, from two dominating high features with automatic weapons Including LMGs.
Assam Minister Parimal Suklabaidya said, "6 Assam Police personnel have died and around 80 people have been injured in the firing. There was no firing from our side. Firing from the Mizoram side was similar to that by the British at Jallianwala Bagh. A cordial talk with the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) was underway after some men came to our side of the border when the Mizoram side started firing suddenly. As much as I know, the firing continued for at least 30 minutes. "We fail to understand the reason behind the move. We live in the same country. They have to cross Assam to enter other Indian states; Assam acts as a corridor to them. Our people never had a bad attitude towards them and still, they did this, we are still shocked," the Minister further added.
Read: Civilians clash with cops, security forces for compensation in Assam
Even as incidents of stone-pelting and clashes were on, Himanta Biswa Sarma spoke to his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga on Monday and proposed a visit to Aizawl to hammer out a solution. The two chief ministers, however, soon got embroiled in a face-off on Twitter.
"I have just spoken to Hon'ble Chief Minister Zoramthanga. I have reiterated that Assam will maintain status quo and peace between the borders of our state. I have expressed my willingness to visit Aizawl and discuss these issues if need be," Sarma tweeted. The Mizoram-Assam border has been tense since June when Assam Police allegedly took control of an area known as 'Aitlang hnar', about 5 km from Vairengte, accusing the neighbouring state of encroaching its territory.
Earlier, CM Zoramthanga accused the Assam Police of resorting to lathi-charge and lobbing tear gas shells while Assam Police claimed that a large number of "miscreants" from Mizoram had indulged in stone pelting and attacked Assam government officials. CM Zoramthanga had also posted a video on his Twitter handle of a stand-off between Assam police personnel and a group of stick-wielding youths.
The BJP along with its allies rules all the eight states of the northeast and the suppurating tension between the two states may cast a shadow over its plans to further consolidate its hold on the region
Read: 'Go for Glory' bicycle rally to encourage Boxer Lovlina Borgohain
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to the chief ministers of Assam and Mizoram, Himanta Biswa Sarma and Zoramthanga respectively, and urged them to ensure peace along the disputed border and find an amicable settlement. During his separate telephonic conversations with
Assam CM Sarma and his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga, Shah asked them to maintain peace along the inter-state border where tension prevails, official sources said. The home minister asked the chief ministers to resolve the border issue through discussion.
Soon after, Mizoram Home Minister Lalchamliana said in a statement that following the intervention of Shah, the Assam Police have withdrawn from the place and the duty post has been handed back to CRPF personnel.
Read: Assam CM rules out talks with ULFA on sovereignty
The incident took place at Lailapur on Monday when a police team from the Assam side went to stop the encroachment of areas under Assam's jurisdiction by some miscreants from the Mizoram side. However, a group of miscreants armed with sticks, stones and machetes attacked the Assam police team, forcing them to fire in the black to disperse the crowd. Police said that the situation soon turned violent with more people joining the mayhem and destroying the vehicle of the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar district.
The two states share a nearly 165 km boundary where violent showdowns between their residents and officials have become frequent occurrence. The long-standing dispute has its origin in a notification of 1875 issued during the British era that differentiated Lushai Hills from the plains of Cachar, and another of 1933 that demarcates a boundary between Lushai Hills and Manipur.
Mizoram insists the inter-state boundary should be demarcated on the basis of the 1875 notification, a corollary to the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) Act, 1873. Mizoram leaders have, however, been arguing against the demarcation notified in 1933 claiming Mizo society was not consulted, while Assam wants that notification to be enforced.
Read: Assam failed to address irregularity queries of Rs 2,15,286 Cr in 25 yrs: CAG
(agency inputs)
