GUWAHATI: At least eight people were injured and houses and shops torched in a fresh border dispute between Assam and Mizoram.
The incident occurred at Vairengte-Lailapur on the border of Cachar in Assam and Kolasib in Mizoram on Saturday night.
The Cachar police said three houses and some roadside shops were torched while one person was injured. The locals claimed over 40 Assam villagers were injured.
“The miscreants from Mizoram are creating problems without any reason. They torched three houses and some shops by the roadside. An injured villager is admitted in the hospital. We are trying to sort out the issues,” Cachar Superintendent of Police BL Meena told this newspaper.
The Kolasib administration said seven civilians from Mizoram were injured.
“Seven Mizo civilians were injured. One of them is being treated at the district hospital in Kolasib and his condition seems stable for now,” Kolasib District Magistrate Dr H Lalthlangliana said.
He said the trouble broke out following attacks on security personnel from Mizoram by the Assam locals. The Mizoram government said it was actively engaging with the Assam government to resolve the current issues. It said it had intimated the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) the “transgressions” by the Assam government. The MHA has convened a meeting with the chief secretaries of the two states on Monday.
Both states adequately deployed their security personnel to the disputed sites. As a result of the dispute, over 100 goods-laden trucks bound for Mizoram were stranded. Over the past few days, land disputes between the two states were also reported from two other places.
Mizoram is also caught in a fresh border row with Tripura. The Tripura government accused the District Magistrate of Mamit in Mizoram of using administrative powers, vis-a-vis prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC, inside Tripura.
In a letter to David H Lalthangliana, who is the Officer on Special Duty-cum-Deputy Secretary of Mizoram, Tripura Additional Secretary AK Chakraborty wrote that the prohibitory orders, issued on October 16 indicating areas of North Tripura district of Tripura, were highly objectionable.
“The DM, Mamit, has erroneously mentioned Betlingchhip, which is currently under the complete administrative control and possession of the state of Tripura under North Tripura district. It may also be noted that the Tourism Department of Tripura constructed a watchtower at the peak of Betlingchhip long back. It can be safely said that the DM, Mamit, in his prohibitory orders has erroneously included Phuldungsai para/village (in Jampui) under Sabual VC of Jampui Hills RD Block in Kanchanpur subdivision of North Tripura district,” the letter reads.
The Tripura government urged the Mamit DM to immediately withdraw the orders as the areas in question are under the administrative control of North Tripura district since Tripura attained statehood.
The Brus, (also called Reangs) were planning to rebuild a Shiva temple at Phuldungsai despite opposition from Mizo villagers. Fearing a law and order situation, the Mamit DM had clamped the prohibitory orders. Phuldungsai has Bru and Mizo populations. The Brus are by and large Hindus while the Mizos are Christians.