Assam, Mizoram Officials Hold Talks To Resolve Border Clash

Officials of the Assam and Mizoram government held talks today to amicably resolve tension along the border between the two states after violence on Saturday night left several injured.

The talks, part of confidence-building measures advocated by the Union Home Ministry , were held at Lailapur in Assam's Cachar district - where the violence took place - and were also aimed at restoring movement of trucks carrying essential goods across the border.

Senior Assam police officials, including Mukesh Agarwal (Special DGP (Border)), Keerthi Jalli (Deputy Commissioner) and Dilip Kumar Dey (DIG (Southern Range)), are at the spot to defuse the situation and return things to normal.

Both sides have indicated they are keen to ensure that peace and tranquility prevails along the border, and will take immediate steps to allow stranded trucks to get moving once again.

The two governments will provide point-to-point escort to help the truck drivers.

An association of truck drivers that took part in the meeting was urged to relay to its members and other drivers the governments' committment in this regard.

Mr Agarwal stressed the issue had to be resolved through talks and discussions rather than confrontation. In time the row will be settled but it has to through a certain process, he said.

The violence erupted after people on either side of the border clashed over a COVID-19 testing centre set up by Mizoram - within territory claimed by Assam - to sample Mizoram-bound truckers and other people without the permission of the Assam authority.

According to locals, young men from Mizoram came to Lailapur and attacked truck drivers and villagers and burnt more than 15 small shops and houses. The locals retaliated.

The violence prompted the chief ministers of the two states to brief Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Home Ministry, which today called on them to work together and sort out their problems.

A senior Home Ministry official told NDTV that both states were told to maintain peace at the inter-state border and not let tensions escalate further.

There were no problems reported from the area today.

Mizoram put out a statement today that said the state government "assures that drivers from Assam and other parts of the country and their vehicles are safe inside Mizoram and that it will continue to do everything possible for their safety inside the state".