Road construction by Assam halted in disputed border area: Mizoram Home Minister

The Mizoram Home Minister, K. Sapdanga, announced on Thursday that the construction of a road by the Assam administration in a disputed border area has been halted. This move follows a recent inspection revealing that Assam had initiated new road construction while clearing several border roads affected by landslides.

Sapdanga detailed that border roads linking police outposts, established by Assam, were severely impacted by rain-triggered landslides in June. "Upon receiving the report of the new construction, Kolasib's deputy commissioner immediately contacted his Cachar counterpart to request a halt to the construction. The issue has now been resolved," Sapdanga informed the press.

The development comes amid accusations from the opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) and a local students' organization, Mizo Zirlai Pawl, regarding Assam's road construction activities in the contested Aitlang area near Vairengte town. The MNF's Serlui North block unit called for the Mizoram government to address the situation promptly, especially with border talks scheduled for August 9.

Sapdanga said that the matter required resolution at the district administration level and confirmed that it had been amicably settled. The upcoming border discussions in Aizawl will see Sapdanga leading the Mizoram delegation, while Assam's Border Protection and Development Minister, Atul Bora, will head the Assam team.

The states of Mizoram and Assam have a long-standing border dispute, with the most recent violent clash occurring in July 2021, resulting in seven deaths, including six Assam policemen, and over 60 injuries. The crux of the dispute lies in differing interpretations of colonial-era demarcations made in 1875 and 1933. Mizoram asserts that the inner line reserved forest demarcation of 1875 under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation of 1873 should be the boundary, whereas Assam adheres to the 1933 map prepared by the Survey of India.