Mizoram to submit list of claimed villages in 3 months

 I did apologize for Lailapur incident: Mizoram Home Minister

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Assam and Mizoram held a crucial ministerial-level meeting in Guwahati today to resolve border issues between the two states. They also had a detailed discussion on the transportation of green areca nuts through Assam from Mizoram.

The meeting was part of the initiative taken by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to settle border issues with all its neighbouring states, including Mizoram. The Mizoram government reciprocated the gesture and sent a ministerial team to Guwahati today for the discussion.

Led by Border Protection and Development Minister Atul Bora, Assam has Environment and Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patoway, Border Protection and Development Commissioner Secretary GD Tripathi and senior bureaucrats of Border Protection and Forest departments.

Led by its Home Minister Lalchamliana, the Mizoram team comprises Minister of State Lalruatkima, Home Commissioner and Secretary H Lalengmawia and other senior government officials. After a four-hour-long marathon meeting, the two sides signed a joint statement that reads –

"Government of Mizoram will furnish the list of villages, their areas, geospatial extent, and ethnicity of the people and other relevant information within three months to support their claim which can be examined by setting up regional committees from both sides to arrive at an amicable resolution of the vexed border issues. The government of Assam will extend full cooperation wherever sought.

"Both sides agreed to abide by the resolutions encapsulated in the Joint Statement of 5th August 2021, signed in Aizawl.

"Both sides agreed to continue their resolve to maintain peace and harmony on the Inter-State border among communities living on both sides to further strengthen their age-old ties.

"High-level delegation from Mizoram expressed that there has been unrest among the areca nut grower in Mizoram on account of problems being faced in the transportation of their produce to Assam and other parts of the country. Both sides agreed to refer the issue to respective Hon'ble Chief Ministers to evolve an amicable solution.

"Both sides also agreed to continue sustained zero-tolerance policy against the transportation of smuggled areca nut from other countries."

Talking to the media after the meeting, Minister Atul Bora said, "After the formation of the present government, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took many initiatives to resolve border issues with the neighbouring states, including Mizoram. After the Lailapur incident, we held the first meeting between the two states at Aizawl on August 5, 2021. The second meeting was on August 9, 2022, in Aizawl. Today's meeting was positive and fruitful. The two chief ministers talked to each other on border issues several times. We hope to find out an amicable solution to resolve border issues."

Mizoram Home Minister Lalchamliana said, "We have never submitted our claims in writing. We will submit the list of villages which we claim as ours within the stipulated time. The regional committees will verify the claims of Mizoram and the claims of Assam not only on paper but also on the ground."

On the areca nut trade, Lalchamliana said, "It is well-known that some people are indulging themselves in smuggling areca nut from Myanmar either through Manipur or Mizoram. We tried our level best to stop this kind of activity. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs is demanding to stop all these kinds of transportation. We are trying, but still, some people smuggle dry areca nuts. It led to the halt of the transportation of green areca nuts from Mizoram. It has affected the areca nut growers of two Mizoram districts and the Karimganj district of Assam. After a long discussion, the honourable Assam Chief Minister talked to Assam Border Protection and Development Commissioner Thipathi over the telephone during the meeting and said that he (CM) would meet the honourable Union Home Minister over the issue tomorrow. We are thankful for that. We immediately rang our (Mizoram) Chief Minister and requested him to give a ring to his Assam counterpart. And he (Zoramthanga) immediately rang to the Assam Chief Minister. We hope good news for green areca nut transportation will emerge soon. We have erected two additional check posts to check the smuggling of areca nut."

When the media asked him about the Lailapur tragic incident last year, he said, "That incident was unfortunate. And I also did apologize and conveyed my condolences to the Assam delegation in our meeting on August 5, 2021. I hope this kind of thing or incident will never happen again. Mizos are for peace, and we strongly believe that we will be able to solve our border problems amicably. The solutions will be acceptable to not only the governments but also to the people of Assam and Mizoram."

The July 2021 incident at Lailapur along the Assam-Mizoram border led to the killing of some Assam Police personnel.

Also Read: Assam-Mizoram Border Talks: Crucial Meet In Guwahati Today

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