On 26th July, 2021 the police force of Assam and Mizoram clashed with each other over the disputed border resulting in the death of six policemen of the Assam police and 80 other injured on both sides. 

Let me tell you that this is not a completely surprising event because Assam and Mizoram have a long standing border dispute dating back to 1875 over inter-state boundary issues between Assam and the states that were carved out of it in the Northeast or the NEFA as it was so called. 

Genesis of the conflict.

In 1875 a notification that differentiated the Lushai Hills from the plains of Cachar was passed by The Raj or the British Government derived from the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) Act, 1873.

Second notification was passed in 1933, that demarcates a boundary between Lushai Hills and Manipur.

Mizoram which was earlier a part of Assam called “Lushai Hills” became a Union Territory in 1972. In 1987 it became a state.

The Mizos leaders were consulted during the 1875 demarcation and not during the 1933 demarcation so they accepted the 1875 demarcation whereas Assam accepted the 1933 demarcation. This is the genesis of the conflict which flared up into a bloody war between the men in uniform on both sides of the inter-state border.

This is how the tension escalated from border to twitter.

Three districts in Mizoram share a 164km-long border with three districts in Assam – Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj. 

On October 18th 2020, seven people on the Mizoram side were injured in fight after they burnt huts made by Lailapur residents of Assam on a disputed portion of the border between the two states.

According to the Mizoram government On July 26th 2021, around 200 policemen from Assam including some senior officers came into Mizoram damaged vehicles on National Highway and forced their way past a post defended by Central Reserve Police Force as well as the Mizoram Police near the Vairengte auto rickshaw stand in Kolasib District around 11:30 am on Monday.

A press statement released by the Assam government said that in a breach of the existing agreements, the Mizoram government had begun the construction of a road towards Rengti Basti in Assam, destroying the Inner Line Reserve Forest in Lailapur area.

Following the Assam intrusion locals when they went to site, the Assam police lathi charged on them and fired tear gas according to Mizoram. Meanwhile Assam claims that these locals misbehaved with Assam police and they were supported by Mizoram police.

This was followed by firing around 4:50 pm. Responding to the attack, the Mizoram Police fired back.

After this both CMs alleged each other on Twitter for inciting violence while tagging Home Minister Amit Shah. 

Since 26th July 2021, this is what happened so far :-

Central paramilitary troops will take charge in the four-km disputed no man’s land, till a permanent solution is found.

• On 27th July, 2021 – In the wake of the clashes, Mizoram said some miscreants in Assam blocked sections of National Highway 306.

• On 28th July, 2021 – Some unidentified people from Assam destroyed railway tracks at Mohammadpur and Ramnathpur in Hailakandi district in Assam essentially cutting the link to Bairabi in Mizoram and from Mizoram to the rest of the country.

• On 30th July, 2021 – Assam issued an advisory for its citizens to not travel to Mizoram and also ordered checking of all vehicles coming from Mizoram. Mizoram police filed an FIR against Assam’s CM Hemanta Biswa Sarma and six top state officers.

• On 30st July, 2021 – MLAs across parties extended their support to Himanta Biswa Sarma in Assam’s Barak Valley.

• On 31st July, 2021 – Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma said he will join the probe if initiated by a neutral agency.

• On 1st August, 2021 – Mizoram said it will drop the FIR filed against Himanta Biswa Sarma Assam following this CM Assam also said that it withdrew the police case against K Vanlalvena, Rajya Sabha MP from Mizoram as a goodwill gesture.

• On 2nd August, 2021 – Mizoram governor Hari Babu Kambhampati met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mizoram drops FIR against all Assamese officials. BJP MPs from Northeast met the PM. Accused Congress of bad governance during the Nehru-Indira era. Appraised the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) which aims to work at inclusive development of north eastern states.

Note – All tweets are screenshots from Twitter.