Assam Govt recovers 200 hectares of land from Mizoram, 20 new BOPs set up in Barak Valley: CM

GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday has said that in the past couple of months no new incidents of encroachment have come to light in the Assam- Mizoram border. Deliberating upon the border conflict with a special focus on the July 26 clash, the chief minister said that the debate is based on historical facts versus the constitutionally defined boundaries.

The clash between constitutional boundary and historical facts:

Speaking in the ongoing Assam Assembly session, the chief minister said, “The Mizoram government, on the basis of historical facts, has been claiming the Inner –Line Reserve Forest surrounding the border of Cachar, Hailakandi, and Karimganj district along the border. During the Covid pandemic last year, the Mizoram government established various Covid testing centres. Later they deployed police in those centres and pushed the border to Assam side.” He said.

He said the main reason that both the government have not been able to sign the status quo is that Mizoram has demanded to carry on economic activities in the areas belonging to Assam.

After two LP schools were bombed by Mizo miscreants, The Assam government had sat with discussion with the Mizoram government, said Himanta Biswa Sarma.

“Discussions took place with the Indian government, drafts were made, I had telephonic conversations with the Mizoram CM as well and letters were also exchanged. We had agreed that first, we would maintain the status quo, and then we will deliberate on the conflict. However, when we were about to sign the deal, Mizoram wanted to add a clause that says, ‘however people of Mizoram will have a right to do economic activities in the forest- they have to be given permission for doing Jhum cultivation and other related activities. Because we dint agree to the clause, the tripartite agreement could not come into being.” he further said.

Himanta Biswa Sarma said that for the past one year, the practice Jhum cultivation by Mizo people in by-in areas belonging to Hailakandi and Cachar district has gone up.

Construction of secret road led to July 26 flare-up?

Himanta Biswa Sarma has claimed that the Border Outpost, that Assam police went to evict in Vairengte on July 26 was actually a Covid testing centre set up last year.

“Between Lailapur and Vairengte, a boundary has been demarked. The Mizoram police pushed the border by converting a Covid Testing centre into a border outpost. During surveillance, we also noticed that though there is the border on the highway between Lailapur and Vairengte, they started constructing a road from Rengti Basti to enter Cachar district.”

He said from the Covid testing turned Border Outpost, the Mizoram Police was actually monitoring the progress of the work of the road.

“Our police obstructed the work of the road and also went to the post from where the Mizoram policed was monitoring the progress of the construction work. Assam police asked the Mizoram police to move back from that point. When our police were in the plains, the Mizoram police from the elevated hideout used LMGs where six of our police got killed and even our SP got seriously injured. But even then our 42 member team of Assam Police led by IGP Anurag Agarwala defying Light Machine Guns kept sitting in the post to make sure the roads are not constructed.

First Time state recognizes the role of Neutral Forces in Border:

Himanta Biswa Sarma said after the clash, the central government asked the Assam government to hand over the disputed post and retreat 200 meters inside the Assam Territory.

“We agreed to that because our objective was not to occupy the post but to stop the construction of the road. Today that post is under the CRPF. To make sure that no inroads are made through Rengti Basti to Cachar, and no advances are made on the territory of Assam.

Sarma also said that, before July 26, Assam had not filed any case regarding border conflict with Mizoram in the Supreme Court or for that matter any other court.

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Assam sets up BOP where two schools burnt down by Mizo miscreants

Post-July 26, Assam Police has set up 20 new Border Outpost in Barak valley to check encroachment. The Chief Minister said roads are also constructed in forest areas to keep a vigil of any advancement.

“The place where Mizo miscreants bombed-out our two LP schools, we have set up a BOP almost eye ball to eyeball.” Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

He also claimed that Mizoram has not been able to encroach Assam's land for the past two months. Instead, the Assam government has been able to recover 200 hectares of land encroached by Mizoram in the past years.

Speaking on the present situation, Sarma said that in a joint statement by the Assam government and the Mizoram counterpart, both the states have agreed not to deploy any state forces in the disputed areas. The states have also agreed that the neutral forces can keep vigil in the border areas and not only sit in the post.

Sarma said that after the economic blockade imposed by netizens of Assam was lifted a few days back, the situation in the Assam-Mizoram border has returned to normalcy.

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