Central team to visit border area
Newmai News Network
Aizawl | March 26
Political parties based in Mizoram and social organizations have called for early solution to the long pending border dispute between Mizoram and Assam. They also demanded reinstatement of "Inter-State Boundary notified in 1875 under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (1873)".
The move was conceived at the consultative meeting of "all political parties" and major social organisations convened by the state’s apex student body, the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) last Saturday, MZP president L. Ramdinliana said.
He said that the meeting re-affirmed to construct a resting shed at Zophai near Bairabi town along the Mizoram-Assam border and decided to submit a joint memorandum to President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and Union Home minister, Rajnath Singh, seeking their intervention to resolve the border dispute at the earliest.
The consultation meeting, which was held at MZP office here, also asked the state government to constitute expert committee to study the inter-state boundary between Assam and Mizoram.
Renthlei said that the meeting strongly blamed Assam police for "resorting to lathicharge and firing" during the border standoff on March 8 and 10 in which several students and journalists were allegedly injured.
“We demand stringent punishment against Hailaikandi Deputy Commissioner Adil Khan and Superintendent of Police of the same district Mohneesh Mishra for giving the firing order and unleashing brutality against the peaceful protesters,” he maintained.
Renthlei also that they will wait the Centre's intervention till April 15 and in case of no positive result they will move to Zophai again to construct the rest house. “If we are not allowed to construct the rest house, Assam should also demolish all its constructions – schools, temples, refugee camps, police outpost and others along the disputed areas,” he asserted.
Renthlei maintained that the bone of contention is the "placing of Mizoram inner line reserve forest measuring 509 sq km under the administration of the Cachar district forest (Assam), as gazetted by the Assam government on October 17, 1878 under the India Forest Act 1865". He said that the Assam government must "return the inner line reserve forest area" to Mizoram in order to resolve the border dispute.
The student body also demanded compensation for all the "injured students and journalists", according to Renthlei.
He claimed that the land where MZP attempts to construct a wooden resting shed belongs to Mizoram first chief minister Ch. Chhunga’s wife Lalrothangi, "who gave revenue to the state government till March this year".
Meanwhile, official sources said that a fact finding team comprising of Joint Secretary (Northeast) in the Home Ministry Satyendra Garg and Principal Secretaries (Home) of Assam and Mizoram governments will visit the border area on Tuesday. The Central team will hold a joint meeting with leaders of MZP at Mizoram-Assam border town Kolasib in the evening.
