Assam Mizoram agree to settle border dispute stress on coordination

    Aizawl, Oct 14 (PTI) Assam and Mizoram on Wednesday
agreed to settle the border dispute and stressed on
coordination to avert any future standoff, an official said.
    The two states committed to settle the border dispute
at a district-level meeting held in view of the recent
conflict, triggered by the torching of a farmhouse in an area
claimed by both, he said.
    The meeting held in Kanhmun village was attended by
Mizoram's Mamit district deputy commissioner Lalrozama,
Assam's Karimganj district deputy commissioner Anbamuthan MP,
police officials, forest officers and other officials of the
two states.
    Representatives of both Mizoram and Assam agreed to
put the boundary issue before the higher authorities of their
respective state governments in order to resolve the dispute
at the earliest, the official said.
    It was also decided that police outposts will be set
up by both the states in the disputed area where the border
standoff took place recently, the official said.
    Efforts to strengthen inter-state coordination in
order to avoid any standoff in the future will also be made,
the official said.
    Terming the recent incident near Thinghlun village
"unfortunate", Lalrozama said it could jeopardise the relation
between the two states.
    He asked the Karimganj deputy commissioner to nab
those involved in the torching of farmhouse and destruction of
plantations, and take disciplinary action against them.
    The deputy commissioner also told Assam officials that
Thinghlun village has been occupied by the Mizos, who are
involved in cultivation in the vicinity, from time immemorial.
    Anbamuthan MP told Mizoram officials that the area
falls under the jurisdiction of the Singla Forest Reserve in
the Karimganj district, and asked them to respect their
authority.
    The decades-old border dispute between the two states
resurfaced on October 9 when officials of Karimganj district,
forest department and Assam police allegedly set fire to a
farmhouse owned by John Zolawma of Thinghlun village.
    Mizoram officials alleged that many plantations,
including over 1,000 betel nut plants, were destroyed by Assam
officials.
    Mizoram and Assam share a 164.6 km border.
    Several dialogues held since 1995 to resolve the
dispute have yielded little results.
    Meanwhile, Mizoram's apex student body, Mizo Zirlai
Pawl (MZP), on Wednesday organised a mass community work and
reconstructed the farmhouse owned by John Zolawma, which was
allegedly torched. PTI CORR
SOM SOM

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)