Assam–Mizoram border talks back on track, no official date announced yet

Aizawl, Jan 24: The Mizoram and Assam government have resumed official correspondence to pave the way for the next round of talks aimed at resolving the long-standing inter-State boundary dispute, a senior official of the Mizoram Home Department said.

Mizoram Home Secretary Vanlalmawia on Friday said that the proposed talks would be held in the Mizoram capital as agreed during the previous round of official-level negotiations conducted in Guwahati on April 25 last year. He, however, said that no date has been finalised so far.

“There have been exchanges between the two State governments, but a specific date for the next round of talks is yet to be fixed,” Vanlalmawia said.

He added that Mizoram had made repeated communication last year, seeking to move the process forward, but responses from Assam were delayed.

“We had raised queries several times last year without receiving a formal reply. Now both sides are in contact again,” he said.

Although both States had agreed last April that the next round of talks should be hosted by Mizoram at the earliest, nearly a year passed before Assam responded to Mizoram’s proposals, officials stated.

During the last round of official-level discussions, representatives from both sides held detailed deliberations on Mizoram’s position based on the 1875 notification issued under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873. The talks also examined Mizoram’s claims submitted to the Assam Government on February 13, 2023 and November 28, 2023.

Officials further added that Mizoram’s claims are based on historical records outlining the status of villages that fall within the State’s territory, as well as areas and villages that have already been handed over to Assam in the past.

According to the Mizoram Government, 62 villages located in the disputed belt fall within its jurisdiction. These claims were discussed extensively during the Guwahati meeting.

Both sides had also agreed that strict status quo should be maintained in the disputed areas till a final settlement is reached.

As part of this understanding, district administrations in Assam bordering Mizoram were asked to ensure a halt to all activities in the contested zones, as such actions could escalate tensions and potentially lead to violent confrontations along the inter-State boundary.

The 123-km Mizoram-Assam border has witnessed sporadic incidents of violence over the years, with progress towards a lasting solution remaining slow. Tensions reached a flashpoint on July 26, 2021, when an exchange of fire between police personnel of the two States resulted in the death of five Assam policemen.

Following the 2021 incident, efforts to restore dialogue gained momentum when an Assam delegation led by minister Atul Bora, visited Mizoram on August 5 that year as part of a goodwill and peace initiative.

Since then, three rounds of talks have been held in Aizawl and one in Guwahati.

In addition, earlier, Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma held two rounds of talks in New Delhi in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Ministerial-level discussions were also held in Aizawl on August 9, 2024, between Bora and Mizoram Home Minister K Sapdanga.

Following that meeting, it was agreed that official-level negotiations should continue before resuming talks at the political level.

Officials said that renewed communication between the two States has raised hopes that the stalled dialogue process could regain momentum, though much will depend on how quickly a date for the next round of talks is finalised.