Fresh negotiations between Assam, Mizoram after talks with Amit Shah, talks only solution: Himanta
HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Aug 1: Six days after a violent clash between police forces of Assam and Mizoram claimed seven lives and injured over 50 people, the Mizoram government on Sunday said that it will relook at the FIR registered against Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over the recent border clashes between the two states.
This was informed by Mizoram chief secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo. He also said that the CM and him were not aware of the FIR.
Notably, the Mizoram Police booked Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, six senior officials and 200 unidentified policemen, holding them responsible for the July 26 violence on the Assam-Mizoram border.
The FIR was registered on July 30. They were booked under various charges including attempt to murder and criminal conspiracy.
Six Assam Police personnel and a civilian were killed and over 50 others, including a superintendent of police (SP), were injured in the deadly clashes with the Mizoram Police on July 26.
The boundary dispute with Assam will be resolved amicably through dialogue, Mizoram chief minister Pu Zoramthanga said after a telephonic discussion with Union Home minister Amit Shah and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday.
Zoramthanga also appealed to the people of Mizoram to prevent any possible escalation of the situation.
“As per telephonic discussion with the Union Home minister and Assam chief minister, we agreed to resolve the Mizoram-Assam border issue amicably through meaningful dialogue,” the Mizoram chief minister said in a tweet.
“Fresh negotiation has begun between the two governments to de-escalate the situation. The Mizoram government is considering dropping the case filed against the Assam chief minister,” an official of Mizoram government told media.
The Centre has told both the states that their officers and forces will not be allowed to carry arms while visiting the conflict zone which is now manned by Central forces, the official said.
The Centre has also asked the two states to restore movement of emergency and essential supplies as part of the de-escalation plan, he said.
Following the development, Sarma said such incidents along the inter-state border are ‘unacceptable’ to people of both the states and advocated a resolution through talks.
Sarma also spoke of keeping alive the spirit of the Northeast in a twitter post.
“Our main focus is on keeping the spirit of the North-East alive. What happened along the Assam-Mizoram border is unacceptable to the people of both states,” he said.
“Hon’ble CM @ZoramthangaCM had promised to call me to post his quarantine. Border disputes can only be resolved through discussion,” Sarma said in his tweet.
Assam and Mizoram have been engaged in a tense border stand-off after seven people, including six Assam Police personnel, were killed and scores injured in a clash along the Mizoram-Assam inter-state border on July 26.
Both the states have refused to honour the summons that were issued by each other following the clashes. Mizoram has named Assam chief minister and other top officials in its FIR over the incident.
The FIR that was filed under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including “attempt to murder”, said Assam Police personnel, acting under instructions from Sarma himself, refused to have an “amicable dialogue” with the Mizoram Police on the day of the incident.
Sarma, on his part, has asked why a neutral agency can’t investigate the matter.
“Will be very happy to join in any investigation. But why is the case not being handed over to a neutral agency, especially when the place of occurrence is well within the constitutional territory of Assam? Have already conveyed this to @ZoramthangaCMji,” Sarma tweeted.
The Assam government has received support from opposition parties in the ongoing stand-off. A 19-member all-party delegation of Assam Assembly, headed by speaker Biswajit Daimary, will visit Delhi to request the Centre to resolve the state’s boundary dispute with Mizoram at the earliest.
The two states have been at odds over the boundary for decades, but Monday’s clashes flared up over an alleged construction by Mizoram in the disputed 198-square-mile stretch on the inter-state border – Lailapur under Dhalai of Cachar district in southern Assam and Vairengte in Kolasib district of northern Mizoram.
The violence started after the Assam Police crossed the border and “over-ran” a police post at Kolasib and damaged vehicles on the national highway and opened fire on the state police, Mizoram said.