Mizoram Govt issues fresh directives to continue construction activities along Assam-Mizoram border

Months of relative calm on the Assam Mizoram border issue between the respective state governments seem to have reached their limits.

Despite the order of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to refrain from undertaking construction activities along the Assam-Mizoram border areas to maintain the status quo on the disputed areas, the Mizoram government has issued fresh instructions to resume construction activities.

It has come two days after an Aizawl-based Joint Action Committee urged the Centre as well as the state government to revoke the MHA advisory alleging it as  “one-sided and biased”.  It alleged that Assam has continued construction activities along the Assam-Mizoram inter-state border despite the advisory.

The Mizoram government on Wednesday instructed the administrations of Kolasib and Mamit not to halt but continue with development projects in the border areas. State home minister Lalchamliana argued that Assam did not stop its construction activities along the inter-state border so also Mizoram must continue.

The home minister also suggested that the two neighbouring states should hold a bilateral political dialogue to resolve the long-pending border dispute.

It may be mentioned that earlier on November 5, the MHA had sent advisories to both the states to maintain the status quo on the disputed areas along the inter-state border, following which the Mizoram home department on November 8 instructed the deputy commissioners of Kolasib and Mamit to maintain the status quo and refrain from undertaking construction activities on the disputed areas along the Mizoram-Assam border.

Mizoram has been constructing roads and bridges in order to link police duty posts and camps in the border areas after the July standoff, which led to the death of seven people.

Mizoram’s three districts – Aizawl, Kolasib and Mamit – share a 164.6 km long boundary with Assam’s Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj district.