Mizoram Home Minister Asserts Territory Claim: 62 Villages Fall Within Mizoram's Boundary

Mizoram's Home Minister boldly asserts the state's claim, sparking a renewed urgency to resolve the long-standing border conflict between the two neighboring states.

Outlook, 14 JUL 2023 : Mizoram Home Minister Lalchamliana made a significant announcement, stating that at least 62 villages located within the inner line reserved forest along Assam's border are within Mizoram's territory. For years, Mizoram has maintained that the 509 square-mile (1,318 square kilometers) area of inner line reserved forest, protected by the 1875 Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR), marks its true boundary.

However, Assam contends that the constitutional boundary aligns with the Survey of India's 1933 map. The disputed border spans three districts of Mizoram (Aizawl, Kolasib, and Mamit) and three districts of Assam (Cachar, Hailakandi, and Karimganj), covering a 164.6 km stretch.

Mizoram submitted its claim to Assam in February, eagerly awaiting a response. The timing for the next round of border talks with Assam is yet to be determined. To address the longstanding border dispute, Mizoram and Assam have conducted three rounds of ministerial-level talks and held virtual meetings on multiple occasions.

The conflict escalated in July 2021 when police forces from both states clashed at the inter-state boundary, resulting in the tragic deaths of six policemen and one civilian from Assam, with over 60 individuals injured. Subsequently, high-level delegation talks commenced in August 2021, aiming to find a resolution.

During the most recent border talks held in Guwahati in November 2022, both delegations agreed that Mizoram would provide a comprehensive list of villages, their areas, geographic extents, ethnicities of the residents, and other pertinent information within three months to substantiate its claim. Regional committees from both sides would then assess the details to arrive at an amicable resolution.

In January, the Mizoram government established a study group and subsequently submitted its claim the following month. Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma have also met twice in New Delhi, in November 2021 and September the previous year, in an effort to seek a mutually agreeable solution to the border dispute.

Mizoram Home Minister Lalchamliana made a significant announcement, stating that at least 62 villages located within the inner line reserved forest along Assam's border are within Mizoram's territory. For years, Mizoram has maintained that the 509 square-mile (1,318 square kilometers) area of inner line reserved forest, protected by the 1875 Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR), marks its true boundary.

However, Assam contends that the constitutional boundary aligns with the Survey of India's 1933 map. The disputed border spans three districts of Mizoram (Aizawl, Kolasib, and Mamit) and three districts of Assam (Cachar, Hailakandi, and Karimganj), covering a 164.6 km stretch.

Mizoram submitted its claim to Assam in February, eagerly awaiting a response. The timing for the next round of border talks with Assam is yet to be determined. To address the longstanding border dispute, Mizoram and Assam have conducted three rounds of ministerial-level talks and held virtual meetings on multiple occasions.

The conflict escalated in July 2021 when police forces from both states clashed at the inter-state boundary, resulting in the tragic deaths of six policemen and one civilian from Assam, with over 60 individuals injured. Subsequently, high-level delegation talks commenced in August 2021, aiming to find a resolution.

During the most recent border talks held in Guwahati in November 2022, both delegations agreed that Mizoram would provide a comprehensive list of villages, their areas, geographic extents, ethnicities of the residents, and other pertinent information within three months to substantiate its claim. Regional committees from both sides would then assess the details to arrive at an amicable resolution.

In January, the Mizoram government established a study group and subsequently submitted its claim the following month. Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma have also met twice in New Delhi, in November 2021 and September the previous year, in an effort to seek a mutually agreeable solution to the border dispute.