Aizawl, August 22: Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Friday announced that Mizoram and Assam have agreed to maintain the status quo along their disputed inter-state border following fresh tensions in Mamit district.
The tension escalated after Assam police and forest officials allegedly entered Saikhawthlir village in Mizoram’s Mamit district on August 15 and damaged around 290 rubber plants cultivated under the Chief Minister’s Rubber Mission. The plantation, managed by Mizoram’s Land Resources, Soil and Water Conservation Department, sparked strong objections from local authorities.
Speaking at the Mizoram Police Service Association (MPSA) conference in Aizawl, Lalduhoma said he had spoken directly with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding the matter. “We have agreed to continue to respect and maintain the status quo in the disputed areas along the inter-state border, which we have already discussed earlier,” he stated.
Following the incident, deputy commissioners and police chiefs of Mizoram’s Mamit district and Assam’s Hailakandi district held a meeting on Monday to defuse the situation. Both sides agreed to strengthen coordination, prevent such incidents in the future, and refer the matter to higher authorities.
During the meeting, Mizoram’s Mamit DC K. Laltlawmlova reiterated that the disputed land falls under the Kawrtha Forest Division and is reflected in the state’s official map prepared by the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department. Assam’s Hailakandi DC Abhishek Jain countered, claiming the land lies within the Inner Line Reserve Forest of Gharmura range in Assam, protected under the Reserved Forest Act, 1980. He also warned that planting rubber trees within 1.5 km of Assam territory could invite scrutiny from the National Green Tribunal.
Mizoram’s Aizawl, Kolasib and Mamit districts share a 164.6 km border with Assam’s Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj districts — a long-standing flashpoint that has seen repeated flare-ups over land ownership.
