Aizawl, Mar 20 (UNI) The much-anticipated official-level dialogue between Mizoram and Assam to resolve the long-standing border dispute is likely to be held soon, although a specific date is yet to be determined.
This was revealed by Mizoram Home Minister K. Sapdanga while responding to a written question from Congress MLA C. Ngunlianchunga in the state legislative assembly.
Sapdanga recalled that the last ministerial-level meeting between the two states, held in Aizawl on August 9 last year, had ended on a positive note with both sides agreeing to hold the next round of talks in Guwahati before March 31, 2025. The proposed meeting was to take place at the ministerial level, continuing efforts to reach a mutually acceptable solution to the vexed interstate border issue.
However, progress has been slow, with Mizoram's repeated attempts to initiate talks going unanswered for months. The state Home Department first reached out to its Assam counterpart on September 2 last year. When no response came, reminders were sent on October 7, 2024, and again on February 19 this year. It was only after the second reminder that Assam finally responded on February 20, indicating a willingness to hold official-level discussions in Guwahati sometime in early April — though the dates are yet to be firmed up.
The fourth and most recent round of border negotiations, held on August 9 in Aizawl, saw the Mizoram delegation led by Home Minister Sapdanga and the Assam side represented by border protection and development minister Atul Bora.
Following the talks, both states issued a joint statement reiterating their commitment to uphold conditions agreed upon in previous meetings. The statement also outlined plans for further studies on unresolved issues and called for district-level negotiations between Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of police on both sides every six months, along with monthly virtual meetings to ensure steady progress.
In his reply, the Home Minister also confirmed that there has been no violation of the ‘status quo’ agreement by Assam since the last round of negotiations, offering a measure of reassurance amid the delicate discussions.
Tensions along the 123-km Mizoram-Assam border have flared multiple times in the past, with sporadic violence overshadowing efforts at peaceful resolution. The most serious incident occurred on July 26, 2021, when a deadly clash between police forces from both states left five Assam policemen dead, forcing both sides to reassess their approach to the dispute.
The turning point came when Assam’s Border Protection and Development Minister Atul Bora led a peace delegation to Aizawl in August 2021, signaling a shift towards dialogue. Since then, four rounds of talks have been held — three in Aizawl and one in Guwahati — alongside two meetings between former Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Delhi, both held in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
As officials from both states prepare for another attempt at resolution, all eyes are on the upcoming meeting in Guwahati, which is expected to chart a concrete course toward settling the decades-old border imbroglio.
UNI ZS BD