Mizoram: Traffic movement going smooth, over 600 vehicles enter from Assam

Traffic movement between Mizoram and Assam continues to go smoothly as more than 600 vehicles have entered Mizoram from the neighbouring state after the lifting of economic blockade on National Highway-306 on August 7, an official said on Monday.

Locals from the Dholai-Lailapur area in Assam’s Cachar district bordering Mizoram had imposed a blockade on Mizoram’s lifeline NH-306 putting a complete halt on supplies after July 26 clash in which seven people, including six policemen from Assam, died and more than 60 injured on both sides.

The blockade was lifted on August 9 around 9 pm after the intervention of the Assam government.

Kolasib Deputy Commissioner H. Lalthlangliana said that as many as 644 vehicles mostly carrying goods have entered Mizoram from Assam via NH-306 after lifting the blockade on Saturday night till 6 pm on Monday.

Some vehicles carrying passengers have also entered, he said. The train service, however, is yet to enter the state from Assam, he said. Speaking to reporters in Kolasib town on Monday, Lalthlangliana said the border issue is completely an affair between two state governments and it is not a dispute between the Mizos and non-Mizos or Assamese.

He urged the people of Mizoram to refrain from any anti-social activities which could tarnish the reputation of the state.

He further urged the people to welcome and show hospitality to drivers or vehicles, which came from other states and not to create any trouble against non-tribal or Assam residents living in the state. He expressed hope that traffic movement between the two states will continue smoothly.

Meanwhile, 18 farmers belonging to the border town of Vairengte, who practice plantations at Aitlang area, where the border standoff flared up on June 29, on Monday wrote to Chief Minister Zoramthanga seeking his intervention to take back and protect their lands allegedly taken over by encroachers and police force from the neighbouring state.

The farmers claimed that they have been practising various cultivations, including betel nuts, broomsticks and vegetables on their lands for more than 50 years now.
They alleged that they were afraid of going to their fields as Assam police personnel are currently camping there.

Mizoram shares about a 164.6 km long inter-state border with Assam.

Both the state governments recently agreed to maintain peace and find an amicable solution to the boundary dispute through peaceful dialogue.

While Mizoram claimed the 509 square miles stretch of the inner line reserve forest notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (1873) in 1875 belong to it and is the actual boundary between Mizoram and Assam, the latter said the demarcation which was made based on the 1933 notification is its constitutional boundary.