Guwahati, Aug 9: Assam and Mizoram are set to hold ministerial-level talks on Friday to address the long-standing border dispute between the two northeastern states.
Reportedly, the meeting is slated to take place at the state guest house in Aizawl at 4 p.m.
The Assam delegation will be headed by Order Protection and Development Minister Atul Bora, while the Mizoram delegation will be led by Home Minister K. Sapdanga.
Additionally, both delegations will also address a press conference at 6 p.m.
It’s worth noting that this will be the first border talks between Assam and Mizoram since the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), led by Chief Minister Lalduhoma, assumed power in December last year.
Both states have maintained the status quo in disputed regions since the beginning of border discussions in August 2021.
Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma and Mizoram CM Lalduhoma Sarma had agreed to hold talks in February, but the Lok Sabha elections caused schedule issues, leading to the postponement of the discussions.
The border dispute between Mizoram and Assam involves three Mizoram districts—Aizawl, Kolasib, and Mamit—which share a 164.6 km boundary with Assam’s Cachar, Karimganj, and Hailakandi districts.
The origins of the dispute go back to two colonial-era demarcations: the 1875 notification under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) and the 1933 Survey of India map.
Earlier in July 2021, the conflict intensified when police forces from both states exchanged gunfire at the border, leading to the deaths of six Assam policemen and a civilian, with more than 60 others injured.
Since August 2021, several rounds of talks, including three ministerial meetings, have been held. These discussions have led to agreements to maintain peace along the boundary and to resolve the dispute through dialogue.
Meanwhile, Mizoram asserts that a total of 509 square miles within the Inner Line Reserved Forest, as defined by the 1875 notification, belong to its territory. In contrast, Assam considers the 1933 map as its constitutional boundary. Subsequently, a few areas within the reserved forest now fall under Assam, while parts of the 1933 demarcation lie on the Mizoram side.
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