New Delhi: The withdrawal of State police forces by the Assam and Mizoram government from the disputed border area has raised a question over the longevity of the “settlement.”
Following interventions of the Union Home Ministry, both the state governments agreed with the Centre’s decision to deploy neutral forces (Central Armed Police Forces) along the 4 km stretch of the national highway 306.
“This is not a permanent solution. In fact, such neutral forces were already there. And in spite of their presence the horrific incident took place on July 26,” said Congress MP in Rajya Sabha Ripun Bora in an exclusive interview to ETV Bharat on Thursday.
He said that political leadership should sit together over the matter.
“The government should call a meeting of both the chief ministers of the two states and all political parties of Northeast including national, regional and local parties along with other stakeholders in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a permanent solution of the decades old problem,” said Bora in New Delhi.
Bora has also asked for suspension of business in the Rajya Sabha and demanded a discussion over the border conflict under Rule 267 on Thursday.
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“Though we have demanded a discussion over the matter in the House, due to the protest on other issues, our matter could not be raised,” Bora said.
The border dispute between the two states has its roots in the colonial period. Mizoram was earlier a part of Assam before becoming a state in 1987.
The British rulers demarcated the boundary between Lushai Hills (Mizoram) and the Kachar Hills (Assam). A notification was issued in 1873 for the purpose, which was called the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) defining the Inner-Line Permit (ILP) regulations.
Later on, BEFR was lifted in Assam and other Northeast states. However, it continued to be in force in Mizoram and Nagaland. Mizoram backed it with the Inner Line of the Lushai Hills Notification of 1993.
Following the 1993 notification, several attempts were made to resolve the boundary dispute. In 2005, the Supreme Court suggested that the central government form a boundary commission to resolve the dispute.
However, based on the 1873-regulation, Mizoram claims about 1,318 sq km area of the inner-line reserve forest which has been rejected by the Assam government.
“Different people give different opinions. They make claims over several areas. However, we will go with the constitutional boundary demarcated in 1987,” said Assam Chief Secretary Jishnu Barua after meeting with the Union Home Secretary over the boundary dispute issue.
Bora, however, said that if the central government or the Supreme Court take any call “we will go by it.”
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Assam and Mizoram share a boundary of about 165 km. The border districts in Mizoram are Aizawl, Kolasib and Mamit whereas the districts in Assam are Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi.
As many as six police personnel and a civilian died in a bloody border clash between both States on July 26. The incident also left more than 80 injured.
Assam has border disputes with Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram. Last year, the Union Home Ministry, set up a committee to resolve the border dispute.
