Matters India Reporter
Guwahati: A civil society body of eminent citizens met in Guwahati to discuss the on-going Assam-Mizoram border stalemate and initiate peace, 7th August 2021.
The extra-ordinary meeting of Assam Nagarik Samaj, representing the civil society of Assam, met under the leadership of Paresh Malakar, its General Secretary, to study more carefully the situation on the Assam-Mizoram border.
Distress was express at the slow progress of peace efforts between the two states after the painful incident at the borders on July 26th when six policemen lost their lives and several more were injured.
Several speakers referred to the complexity of the border issue, going back to the British era and the period when Mizoram was a part of Assam. There were clearly two different ways of looking at things based on the indigenous communities’ memory and traditional understanding of boundaries which cannot be ignored.
Amrit Goldsmith of the Baptist Church insisted on respecting the cultural traditions of different communities when initiating dialogue, and on not deciding on issues in great haste.
Father Tom Mangattuthazhe, the Secretary for Ecumenism of the Regional Bishops’ Conference, described in detail how people were suffering because of the “unofficial blockade” that prevented goods from Assam moving into Mizoram, halting even essential goods like food, covid medicines and oxygen cylinders.
Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil called for attention to the ‘humanitarian dimension’ of the issue, setting aside if need be political prestige and unnecessary formalities. Hurt sentiments should be assuaged and confidence-building measures initiated. Weaker communities in vulnerable situations should be specially assisted.
A press release called for the immediate lifting of all blockade in any form whatsoever and wider consultation of the communities on both sides as the dialogue continues. It urged sensitivity in dealing with different perspectives and mutual understanding, lest third parties take advantage of the moment of difficulty. The document was signed by Harekrishna Deka, Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, Prasanta Rajguru, and Paresh Malakar.
The gathering looked forward to the time when more intense interactions would be possible between the civil societies in both states.
Conflicting territorial claims have persisted for long between Assam and Mizoram, which share a 164.6 km inter-state border. This has resulted in periodical upheavals as was witnessed in the Assam-Mizoram skirmish last Monday (2nd August 2021) where six Assam policemen died and over 70 injured.