Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Friday said his state and Assam have agreed to maintain the status quo in disputed border areas following fresh tensions along the inter-state boundary.
Speaking at a conference of the Mizoram Police Service Association (MPSA) in Aizawl, Lalduhoma informed that he had spoken with his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma after the latest flare-up.
“We have agreed to continue to respect and maintain the status quo in the disputed areas along the inter-state border, which we have already discussed earlier,” Lalduhoma said.
The renewed tensions stemmed from an incident on August 15, when police personnel and forest officials from Assam allegedly entered Saikhawthlir village in Mizoram’s Mamit district and destroyed nearly 290 rubber plants cultivated by locals. The plantation, part of the Chief Minister’s Rubber Mission, was being managed by Mizoram’s Land Resources, Soil and Water Conservation Department.
Following the incident, deputy commissioners and police chiefs of Mamit (Mizoram) and Hailakandi (Assam) held a crucial meeting on Monday. While both sides pledged to defuse tensions and prevent further escalation through improved coordination, each continued to assert ownership over the disputed land.
Mamit Deputy Commissioner K. Laltlawmlova maintained that the area falls under Mizoram’s Kawrtha forest division, citing maps prepared by the state’s Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department. Hailakandi Deputy Commissioner Abhishek Jain, however, argued that the site lies within Assam’s inner line reserve forest under the Gharmura range. Referring to the Reserved Forest Act, 1980, Jain contended that planting rubber trees there is illegal and could draw scrutiny from the National Green Tribunal.
Mizoram shares a 164.6 km border with Assam’s Cachar, Hailakandi, and Karimganj districts.
The dispute dates back to colonial-era demarcations—one in 1875 and another in 1933—that drew different boundary lines between the Lushai Hills (now Mizoram) and the then undivided Assam. Mizoram recognizes the 1875 notification, which was based on consultations with tribal chiefs, while Assam follows the later 1933 notification, leading to overlapping claims.
The conflict has at times turned violent. In July 2021, clashes near Vairengte claimed seven lives and left many injured, marking one of the bloodiest episodes in the inter-state row. Since then, both states have held multiple rounds of negotiations—ranging from ministerial-level meetings to technical discussions—under the guidance of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.