𝗧𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗺-𝗠𝗶𝘇𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝘂𝗯𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱.

The incident, which occurred on August 15, has once again highlighted the fragile peace along the 164.6 km-long inter-state boundary, parts of which remain disputed. Officials said the disputed area falls under Mizoram’s reserve forest land but is also claimed as part of Assam under the Chief Minister’s Rubber Mission.

During a meeting at Bairabi near the Assam border, Mizoram deputy commissioner K. Lalrinmawia informed Assam counterparts that Sakaihruhlui village falls under Kawrtah forest division and is listed in Mizoram’s Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department’s GIS map. He argued that residents of Mamit district are cultivating within their own reserve forest area.

However, Hailakandi deputy commissioner Abhishek Jain contended that the issue arose due to plantation activity in a reserved forest that overlaps with Assam’s boundary claims. He added that the affected area lies within Gharamara range in Assam’s Hailakandi district, which is protected under the Reserved Forest Act of 1980

The Assam-Mizoram border dispute dates back to colonial-era demarcations—first under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) of 1875, later challenged by Assam with reference to the 1933 Survey of India map. Mizoram bases its claims on the 1875 demarcation, asserting that about 509 square miles of inner line reserve forest falls within its boundaries, while Assam continues to hold the 1933 map as constitutional.

Periodic clashes have erupted along the border in the past, most notably in July 2021 when violence left several dead and scores injured. Despite four rounds of ministerial talks since August 2021, a lasting resolution has remained elusive.

The latest incident underscores the simmering tensions between the two northeastern neighbours, with both states reiterating their claims and seeking central intervention for a permanent solution.