|
This is one more thing for Assam to worry about. --Ram
Mizo-Assam boundary dispute threatens NE Peace | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Press Trust of India Aizawal, February 12, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The long-standing boundary dispute between Mizoram and the parent state of Assam might snowball into a bloody confrontation between the two states.
It has the potential to damage the prospects of Chief Minister Zoramthanga-led Mizo National Front (MNF) government in Mizoram in the 2008 assembly polls.
The dispute resurfaced during the latter part of last year and has become a major political issue in the state where opposition parties took advantage of the alleged inaction of the government.
The activities of the deputy commissioner of Assam's Hailakandi District, who erected a 'welcome to Assam' signboard at Zophai Hamlet near Mizoram's lone railway station, of Bairabi earned the wrath of Mizos living in the area who claimed the land belonged to them.
The DC not only put up the controversial signboard but also ordered the destruction of a farmers' hut constructed by the Mizoram agriculture department under integrated wasteland development programme.
Two Mizo student leaders were arrested by Hailakandi district police in December for allegedly trying to blow up a police observatory tower at Zophai, the area considered by Mizos as well inside Mizoram.
The boundary dispute had almost resulted in an armed confrontation between the police of both the states near Mizoram-Cachar District (Assam) border village of Vairengte in 1994. However, it was avoided after the intervention of the Union Home Ministry, which finally acknowledged there was a dispute between the two neighbouring states.
A recent meeting of all the state's recognised political parties agreed that the boundary between the two states should be as notified in 1875 under the provisions of Eastern Bengal Frontier Regulation Act, 1873.
"The inner-line of the Inner Line Reserved Forest as described in the notification of 1875 should be based while setting the boundary dispute," the political parties had said.
Meanwhile, the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) or the Mizo Students Federation through The North East Students Organisation (NESCO) urged the Centre to constitute a boundary commission to settle boundary disputes in North East.
Assam is having boundary disputes with almost all its neighbours, including Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh, as these states had once been districts of Assam.
Now-defunct underground welfare society formed by former Mizo National Army personnel also urged Zoramthanga to hold talks with Assam chief minister as was decided in the meeting of chief secretaries of the two states on February 15,1994.
The group also urged the state government to ask all the settlers of inner line reserved forest to leave their settlements until a solution to the boundary dispute.
They also urged the state government to convene a special session of the assembly to pass resolutions demanding constitution of a boundary commission and handing over of inner line reserve forest to Mizoram Environment and Forests department.
They even threatened to organise a blockade of National Highway No 54, the only economic lifeline between Assam and Mizoram, if their demands were not conceded by the state government.
_______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
