Here's why the Assam-Mizoram border issue flared up again

The decades-long Assam-Mizoram border dispute took an ugly turn on Monday as a firing between police personnel of the two states saw six Assam cops being killed and several more injured.

The border has long been a bone of contention between the two northeastern states and multiple talks facilitated by the Centre as far back as 1995 and as recent as July 9 this year made remained inconclusive.

The firing on Monday was preceded by incidents of bombing and encroaching on either side of the border. During the July 9 talks, Mizo miscreants were said to have conducted an IED explosion in Assam's Cachar district targeting a delegation of Assam government officials, including senior police officials, who were on a visit to oversee the construction of a road along the border, but no casualty was reported in the incident.

This was met in retaliation with two back-to-back explosions on the other side of the border on July 10. "Two blast sounds were heard coming from the Mizoram side at 2.40 am and 2.43 am. The CRPF, which is a neutral force deployed at Khulicherra Point-II, has been asked to enquire into the suspected blasts on the Mizoram side," an Assam Police source told PTI.

Mizoram Home Minister Lalchamliana alleged that the crops of Mizo farmers were destroyed by Assam police personnel, who intruded into their territory. He demanded the Assam government give compensation to the affected farmers. He also stated that additional Mizoram police forces have been deployed in the affected areas to remove public fear and ensure a sense of normalcy.

According to Assam officials, the July 26 firing was triggered when civilians from Mizoram's Kolasib district tried to push Assam police personnel from their post on the inter-state border at Lailapur in Cachar district.

They said at least 50 police personnel including SP of Cachar district, Nimbalkar Vaibhav Chandrakant, were injured in firing and stone-pelting. "Local residents from Mizoram pelted stones and fired from airguns in front of Mizoram police and government officials," they said.

Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga, on the other hand, claimed in a statement that around 200 Assam police personnel led by an IGP and Cachar DC and SP went to Vairangte autorickshaw stand in Kolasib at around 11.30 am. "They forcibly crossed the duty post of Mizoram police. Assam police also damaged several vehicles travelling along the National Highway between Vairengte and Lailapur," said the statement. He said unarmed civilians who rushed to the site were lathi-charged and tear gas was fired at them.

"The confrontation continued and a volley of tear gas canisters and grenades were launched at Mizoram police followed by firing from Assam side at around 4.50 pm. Mizoram police responded spontaneously by firing back at Assam police in spite of the fact that Kolasib SP was still inside CRPF duty camp negotiating with the Assam police authorities," Zoramthanga said.

Three districts of the southern Assam's Barak Valley - Karimganj, Hailakandi and Cachar - share a 123-km-long border with Mizoram's Mamit, Kolasib and Aizawl districts.

The border dispute between the two states is a long-standing issue. Assam says the boundary demarcated in 1933 notification should be maintained while Mizoram insists that the same drawn in the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1875 should be the actual boundary.

Violence broke out in October last year and in February this year, in which some schools were even allegedly bombed by miscreants from Mizoram's side. Mizoram, on the other hand, claimed that the schools were set up by Assam officials in their land.

(With agency inputs)