Will maintain territorial integrity, says Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

* Chief Secretary-level meeting in New Delhi today

* Injured Cachar SP shifted to Mumbai

* Rs 50 lakh to next of kin of each deceased police personnel

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SILCHAR/GUWAHATI: Deeply shocked at the barbarity perpetrated by the armed Mizoram Police and civilians on restrained Assam Police jawans, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made it clear before the media here on Tuesday that "at no cost, even a single inch of the state's land will be allowed to be encroached upon from hence.' To protect the land of Assam facing aggression by Mizos on Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi borders, we will deploy three commando battalions comprising 4,000 personnel along the Assam-Mizoram border.

The Chief Minister said, "We'll seek the Supreme Court's intervention to protect inner-line forest reserves from destruction and encroachment along the border with Mizoram." On Monday's firing from the Mizoram side, Sarma urged his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga to probe how a section of civilians are carrying and using sophisticated arms. "If the civilians of Mizoram carry sophisticated arms and ammunition, it would not only be very harmful to Assam but would be dangerous for Mizoram as well," he said.

Sarma also said that his government would provide security to the Mizo people, traders and students in Assam. "Vengeance is never the mentality of Assam," he said.

According to official sources, on Wednesday Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla will chair a meeting with the Chief Secretaries and DGPs of Assam and Mizoram in New Delhi.

Paying his last respects to the brave hearts, the Chief Minister announced ex gratia amounting to Rs 50 lakh to the next of kin of each of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh to each of the injured police personnel.

He also said that the government will provide a government job to a family member of each of the deceased police personnel.

The Chief Minister said despite all provocations, the Assam Police has been showing all restraint. But, now they have been directed to take positions at all the disturbed and vulnerable points. "We have to be tough and affirmative to deal with the situation. The Mizoram government does not abide by even the status quo and the Government of India's guidelines. It is behaving as if our police and civilians are of a foreign country. Enough is enough, this has to stop."

Himanta Biswa Sarma said at the Chief Secretariat-level meeting in New Delhi on July 8, it was agreed upon that the satellite survey by an Indian or Foreign agency and the photograph on the status quo would be adhered to. Unfortunately, after his consent at the New Delhi meets, the Chief Secretary of Mizoram took a U-turn and declined to follow the Government of India's guidelines, he said.

The Chief Minister called it unfortunate that for the last one-month Mizos have been trying to commit ingression to encroach upon Assam land on three fronts of the three Barak Valley districts. The Assam Police have frustrated all their moves. On July 25, DFO Cachar sent a letter to him, describing how Mizo miscreants have infiltrated deep into Assam land and started building roads and other structures in Rengti Hills. The DIG, SP and the DC of Cachar went there and saw the aggressive developments. The DC and the SP of Kolasib were contacted who were least concerned, the Chief Minister said.

Himanta Biswa Sarma added to say in the very presence of high officials of Cachar, all sorts of missiles, including stones began to be thrown, obviously targeting them and their convoy. Most shockingly, the Mizo police used LMG to target the Assam Police jawans. The firing continued for 30 to 35 minutes. Five jawans of Assam police laid down their lives while resisting the Mizo aggressors. Another police personnel succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday. The SP was shot in his leg and 42 jawans sustained injuries, some gravely. While the SP has been shifted to Mumbai in an Air Ambulance, three jawans have been shifted to Guwahati in another Air Ambulance.

The Chief Minister said, "Six times, I contacted Chief Minister Zoramthanga of Mizoram during the firing". He only replied 'very very sorry.' This tells many a story. Himanta Biswa Sarma repeated, "We will abide by any decision on boundary taken by the Centre. We want a solution through dialogue."

Citing satellite imagery, the Chief Minister further said, "It is evident from documents and evidence that reserve forest lands of Assam are occupied by Mizo people who destroy the forest resources.

"It might be that some people in Mizoram are annoyed after the Assam Government curtailed the drug-trading chain from Myanmar to other parts of India via Mizoram and Assam."

After landing here in the late morning, the Chief Minister went to the SMCH to see the injured SP and jawans undergoing treatment. He wished them well and early recovery. Then he came to the premises of the SP office and laid floral wreaths at their coffins and paid tribute to them.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said on Tuesday in a written statement to the Lok Sabha in response to a question on the role of the Union government in redressing border disputes between states in the country, "The approach of the Central government has consistently been that inter-state disputes can be resolved only with the cooperation of the State governments concerned and that the Central government acts only as a facilitator for amicable settlement of the dispute in the spirit of mutual understanding."

IANS adds: Mizoram Home Minister Lalchamliana said that 200 armed Assam Police personnel led by an IGP and accompanied by Cachar DC and SP came to the Vairengte auto-rickshaw stand, forcefully crossed the post manned by CRPF personnel and overran a duty post manned by the Mizoram Police personnel. He also claimed that the Assam Police also damaged several vehicles travelling along the National Highway between Vairengte and Lailapur. The confrontation continued and a volley of tear gas canisters and grenades were launched at the Mizoram Police followed by firing from the Assam side.

Also Read: Six Assam Police personnel killed in boundary row with Mizoram

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