MIZO Students Urge PM Modi To Resolve Border Dispute Between Assam & Mizoram

THE border dispute between Assam and Mizoram is hotting up as the Congress ruled Christian dominated state is going to poll later this year before the Lok Sabha elections. The Mizoram’s apex students’ body has submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding that the boundary line demarcated in 1875 under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation of 1873 during the British rule should be recognised as the only boundary between Assam and Mizoram as accepted by the government and the people of Mizoram. Even as the fact-finding report of the three-member high-level team of Ministry of Home Affairs on the Assam-Mizoram border issue is awaited, The Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) said in a memorandum that the international boundary between the British and the then Lushai territory (Mizoram) is accepted by the Mizos. Under the agreement,  46 boundary pillars erected in the border to demarcate the territory/boundary of Mizoram and Cachar (Assam) during the British rule is still considered as the Inner Line.Besides,there is no proper border stone to demarcate Mizoram-Assam border. Thus, the Mizo people want to go back to the original boundary marked in 1875,” the memorandum stated. The residents of Hailakandi district in Assam where the disputed area lies are mostly illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. “It can be proved from the report made by the National Register of Citizens (Prime Minister Vision Report),” MZP said. The border area between Kolasib in Mizoram and Hailakandi in Assam witnessed trouble recently. At least 49 people were injured in a clash with Assam police who baton charged Mizo students for trying to construct a wooden resting shed on a piece of land they claimed was donated by former Mizoram chief minister Ch. Chhunga’s in Kolasib district. The MZP says that the area where it planned to construct a rest shed that triggered fresh tensions in March, is “well within Mizoram.” It claimed that the plot of land belongs to the first chief minister of Mizoram, late Ch Chhunga’s wife. The three-member fact finding team is scheduled to submit its report to the Union Home Secretary on April 5.It will be discussed by concerned officials before taking it up with the chief secretaries of the two states. The two states of Assam and Mizoram have a long-standing boundary dispute resulting into tension up in the Hailakandi-Kolasib region affecting relations between the people of the two north-eastern States. The MP says the report shows that about 98% are illegal immigrants and out of which (sic) 60% are Muslims and 38% are Hindus. This report is based on a survey conducted between November 29 to December 1, 2017 in Hailakandi district. MZP claims that majority of the population living in Hailakandi are not Indian Citizens or even Assamese at all. The MZP in the memorandum recalls that for the campaign for 2014 Lok Sabha election in Assam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had focused on the issue of illegal immigration and said that he would work towards deportation of foreigners from the country. “The north-eastern States have been dealing with illegal immigrants and have suffered immensely. We were really excited and hopeful when we found out about the Prime Minister’s resolution to help out with this issue,” the memorandum further said. Meanwhile, The Assam Tribune reports The consultative meeting called by Zeliangrong Baudi (Assam, Manipur and Nagaland) to discuss the situation arising out of the NSCN (I-M)’s decision to recognise Zeme, Liangmai and Rongmei – collectively known as Zeliangrong – as three separate tribes, at Jalukie town in Peren district on Tuesday remained inconclusive. No resolution on the issue could be adopted as only 35 representatives representing Zeliangrong civil organisations, social leaders, politicians, government officers, intellectuals, scholars, academicians, religious leaders, women leaders, members of village authorities, gaonburhas and others invited to the meeting attended it. (Courtesy for pic to PIB)