Fear-psychosis grips residents along Assam-Mizoram border

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

SILCHAR: After storm comes a deceptive lull. This has been the pattern after each Mizo aggression on Assam land along boundary areas of Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj during the last four decades. This time also after the outrageous acts of aggression by some Mizo miscreants, the district and police administrations have been on their toes. But, a ground report says those Mizo miscreants have taken in their possession vast areas in Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi along the boundary.

On Sunday and Monday, no political leader of the AIUDF or the Congress could go beyond Lyllapur to the worst-affected Khulicherra-Tikli cluster of villages on Assam land where the Mizo miscreants set ablaze settlements, shops and razed to the ground the vegetations. Villagers on the frontier are gripped with fear and tension.

Even Minister of Forest Parimal Shuklabaidya — under whose constituency the area falls — after proceeding for some distance left in a huff, noticing the aggressive Mizos and their armed battalion personnel in battle gear. The unprovoked and surprise acts of aggression by Mizos backed by armed police leave no place for the border residents to resist or dare to resist due to their isolated locations in the forested terrain situated far away from the administrative link. These aggressive acts are without rhyme or reason. It is simply motivated by Mizoram's expansionist design to grab Assam land. Secondly, there is another facet to exhibit – proselytization — as was seen at the Barman-dominated Khulicherra where they built a church and converted some members of the community. At Gutguti, 30 houses (belonging to the Reangs) were burnt to ashes for refusing to convert.

A report from the Karimganj frontier says that the illegal structures raised by the Mizos in the Chiragi-Shingla Forest ranges, after demolition by the Assam police, were again set up with the help of IR Bn. Deputy Commissioner of Karimganj, MP Ambamuthan and SP Mayank Kumar along with Officer in Charge OC Ratabari Police outpost rushed to the spot on Monday morning; but the team failed to reach the area for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation due to bad connectivity and the aggressive armed Mizo Police personnel. Ultimately, Section 144 has been promulgated in the area which hardly matters for the aggressors.

The only way to prevent such aggressions is to bring the disturbed border areas of Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj under the protection of armed security forces. Unless full-time and all-season preparations are done, Mizo aggression can hardly be checked.

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