Shah talks to chief ministers Six policemen killed along Assam-Mizoram border as violence escalates

Amit Shah speaks to chief ministers of the two states on the ongoing row, asks them to ensure peaceful resolution of dispute

Union Home Minister Amit Shah with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during his visit to Kamakhya Devi temple in Guwahati on Sunday, July 25, 2021.: PTI

TT Bureau, PTI   |   Aizawl, Guwahati   |  26.07.21,: A tense situation prevailed along the disputed Assam-Mizoram border as six cops from Assam were killed in violence that broke out along the border. There were reports of fresh firing along the border area close to Assam’s Cachar district and Mizoram’s Kolasib districts.

Significantly, the violence broke out along the disputed border two days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah conducted a closed door meeting with the chief ministers of the northeast stated at Shillong.

The tension escalated to such an extent that the Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took on to Twitter to announce that six Assam Police personnel were killed in firing by miscreants from Mizoram along the inter-state border in Cachar district.

Following which the chief ministers of the two states got locked in a war of words on Twitter on Monday.

As the two leaders traded charges on Twitter, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he has spoken to his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga and his police force will maintain peace.

Zoramthanga accused the Assam Police of resorting to lathi-charge and lobbing tear gas shells while Assam Police claimed that a large number of "miscreants" from Mizoram were indulging in stone pelting and had attacked the Assam government officials.

Assam's Barak Valley districts of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi share a 164 km long border with Mizoram's three districts of Aizawl, Kolasib and Mamit.

Following a territorial dispute, there were clashes along the inter-state border in August 2020 and February this year.

Mizoram Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Northern Range), Lalbiakthanga Khiangte, told PTI that at least eight unoccupied farm huts near Aitlang stream in the trouble-torn area were torched around 11.30 PM on Sunday.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had to intervene. According to sources, he spoke to the chief ministers of Assam and Mizoram over the ongoing border row between the two states and asked them to ensure peaceful resolution of the dispute.

During his separate telephonic conversations with Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga, Shah asked them to maintain peace along the inter-state border where tension prevails, said sources.

The home minister asked the chief ministers to resolve the border issue mutually.

Both chief ministers have assured the home minister that the needful will be done to ensure peace and resolve the border issue amicably.

Police forces from both states are expected to return from the disputed site, the sources said.