Newmai News Network
Aizawl | July 17
Mizoram’s apex student body, Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), will protest on Friday after the state government of Mizoram failed to make the Assam Forest department officials vacate from a "disputed land" near Lailapoor along the inter-state border.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference here on Wednesday, MZP president L. Ramdinliana Renthlei said that Assam Forest department had recently occupied an old security forces building near Vairengte or Lailapoor along the National Highway-54 on the Mizoram-Assam border, "breaching" the status quo. He also said that they had appealed to the state government to make the Assam officials vacate the place on or before July 12 failing which the state government should construct a resting shed at Zophai area near Bairabi town along the Mizoram-Assam border, where the border standoff erupted in March last year. The student body had also threatened to launch massive protest rallies if the government fails to fulfil both the demands, Renthlei said.
According to the MZP leader, the state government did not take any measure to either make the Assam officials vacate the place or construct a resting shed at Zophai within the stipulated time.
“We have decided to go ahead with our plan to carry our a protest rally in Aizawl on Friday as a clarion call to protect Mizoram’s territory,” Renthlei said. The student leader also said that the meeting of Core Committee on border held on Wednesday asked the student body to cancel the proposed rally.
“We cannot withdraw our decision as the meeting did not make any promise to take measures with regard to the border issue,” the MZP leader said.
According to Renthlei, tension erupted at Zophai in March 2018 when MZP functionaries attempted to re-construct a wooden resting shed, which was destroyed by the Assam government just overnight. He also alleged that several people, including local journalists were injured when the Assam police resorted to lathi charge to disperse the protesting students.
The MZP leader then said that the Core Committee on border issue was constituted based on the decision of the meeting of the Mizoram government and theAssam government under the initiative of the Centre in April 2018.
Renthlei then said that a minor clash occurred when the Assam Forest department renovated and occupied an old building of security forces near Vairengte on the inter-state boundary on July 6. He further alleged that it was a breach of law on the part of the Assam government as both the state governments had agreed to maintain status quo according to the Centre’s directive.
Renthlei then asserted that the MZP would not budge an inch from the state’s boundary and continue to protect it till the end. He also said that the student body would mount pressure on the state government to construct a resting shed at Zophai.
