Border intrusion: Chief Ministers of Assam, Mizoram hold talks, MHA seeks reports

The chief ministers of Assam and Mizoram on Saturday held telephonic talks over clashes between Assam Police and Mizo activists who had allegedly tried to intrude in Assam's territory.

Activists of the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), the apex Mizo student body, who had accused the Assam Police of excesses against them, temporarily withdrew from the spot of clashes late in the evening, officials said.

Chief Ministers of Mizoram and Assam, Lal Thanhawla and Sarbananda Sonowal respectively, held talks over phone and the latter suggested that both the sides should withdraw from the disputed area, the statement said.

Assam and Mizoram have a long-standing boundary dispute and there had been tension in the Hailakandi-Kolasib region several times in the past too.

Mizoram Chief Secretary Arvind Ray also contacted his Assam counterpart and both the sides agreed to hold talks on the border dispute.

However, the date for holding talks between the two states was not yet fixed, the statement said.

Meanwhile, the MZP members withdrew from the place of incidents this evening temporarily, the officials said.

The student activists have been camping at Zopui locality in Kolasib district since Thursday to construct a rest house on the land of the late Ch Chhunga, first chief minister of the state where a large number of Assam's police forces were deployed to prevent them from doing so.

A report from Assam's Hailakandi also said the MZP workers were retreating from the border.

This was conveyed to Hailakandi Deputy Commissioner Adil Khan by his Kolasib counterpart R Zarzosanga, an Assam government release here on Saturday.

"This is a positive development and augurs well as we are expecting the situation to return to normal along the Assam-Mizoram border," Khan said.

Meanwhile, the Centre on Saturday asked Assam and Mizoram governments to ensure peace along their borders, an official said.

The Union home ministry has also sought reports from the two states about the incident and steps being taken to normalise the situation.

The ministry, at the highest level, is in constant touch with both the governments of Assam and Mizoram, the official said.

The state governments were asked to take appropriate steps to ensure law and order, prevent the situation from escalating and bring the situation under control.

The home ministry also told the two state governments to enforce prohibitory orders and deploy forces wherever necessary, the official said.