The Mizoram and Assam governments have resolved to continue maintaining peace and status quo along the inter-state boundary, a minister said on Friday.
The two Northeastern states on Friday held a meeting over boundary issues via video conference. The meeting came amid allegations by Assam that Mizoram was continuously violating the status quo by constructing roads along the inter-state border.
Mizoram home minister Lalchamliana said that the meeting has agreed to maintain the status quo on the disputed areas along the inter-state boundary. Both sides have also agreed to hold a high-level talk to resolve the long-standing border dispute, he said.
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According to the home minister, the meeting asked the Assam government to propose the level of talks and also to prepare modalities for the proposed talks.
During the meeting, Assam has levelled allegations that Mizoram was violating the status-quo by constructing roads and executing other projects like electrification on the inter-state boundary, he said.
The Mizoram team assured that it would verify and look into the matter, he said.
Led by Lalchamliana, the virtual meeting was attended by important officials from Mizoram, while the Assam team was led by state border area development minister Atul Bora. The Mizoram-Assam border dispute, which stemmed from two colonial demarcations, is a vexed issue, which has remained unresolved for decades.
While Mizoram accepted the 1875 notification as its actual boundary, the Assam government, on the other hand, said demarcations made under the 1933 notification were its constitution boundary.
On July 26 last year, police forces of the two neighbouring states had exchanged fire at the disputed area near Vairengte village on the National Highway 306, leading to the death of six policemen, and a civilian from Assam.
Around 60 people had also injured in the violent clashes. A ministerial-level meeting was held in Aizawl in August, during which both states agreed to maintain peace and amicably resolve the boundary dispute through dialogue.
Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma had met over the border issue in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi in November last year and agreed to form panels of their own involving all stakeholders to resolve the border dispute through dialogue.
Toward this end, both leaders had also agreed to have chief minister-level talks from time to time.
Three Mizoram districts- Aizawl, Kolasib and Mamit share a 164.6 km long inter-state border with Assam’s Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi districts.
