New Delhi: Even with the Ministry of Home Affairs stepping in on July 28 to declare that a neutral central force would be deployed along the volatile Assam-Mizoram border to help bring peace, the Assam Police has lodged an FIR against the killing of six of its personnel in the July 26 firing.

While five Assam Police personnel had succumbed to bullet injuries on July 26 itself – in addition to a civilian – another police personnel lost his life on July 28, taking the total count of those dead due to the violence that broke out between Assam and Mizoram Police and civilians at Lailapur area of Cachar district to seven.

According to local news reports, the FIR was filed on July 27 at Dholai police station leading to a case (number 236/21) under sections 120 (B), 447, 336, 379, 333, 307 of the Indian Penal Code read with Section 25 (I-A) of Arms Act and Section 3 of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984.

Special director general of police G.P. Singh tweeted on July 28 saying Assam Police has announced a reward of Rs five lakh for any information that would lead to arrest of individual involved in the July 26 violence at the inter-state border. 

A report in Assam Tribune said the state police have also “prepared a photo gallery which is being further updated of Mizoram Police personnel and civilian miscreants who fired at Assam Police on July 26.” Singh had also tweeted about it saying, “They would be brought to law”.

The meeting of the Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla with the chief secretaries and DGPs of both the states in New Delhi on July 28 went on for over two hours. According to Mizoram Post, the discussion “was initially inconclusive but came to a mutual agreement following the second round of discussion in the afternoon.”

The report said while both the MHA and Assam chief secretary Jishnu Baruah “pushed for withdrawal of Mizoram’s police force from Vairengte auto stand”, Mizoram chief secretary Lalunmawia Chuango “contested this and [argued] that there was no valid reason for such a withdrawal and this was not acceptable to the government and the people of Mizoram”. 

A PTI report, quoting an unnamed home ministry official, said the officials of both the states, however, agreed for the deployment of a neutral Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) at the disturbed border area along the national highway 306.

The CRPF director general also attended the meeting as his forces are already present in the border.A news report, quoting the MHA official, said, “The neutral force will be commanded by a senior officer of CAPF. Besides, in order to facilitate the functioning of the force, both the state governments will work out arrangements in coordination with the union home ministry within a reasonable time frame.”

Assam security personnel stand vigil outside the Mizoram house in Guwahati, Wednesday, July 28, 2021. Assam & Mizoram police personnel clashed at the border on Monday where 6 Assam policemen died. 

The Centre had also asked the two states to continue their mutual discussions to solve the matter amicably. Later, the chief secretaries of both the states said the respective state forces would be withdrawn from the disputed area.

Meanwhile, reports coming from Mizoram have it that people from Assam’s Barak Valley have resorted to an ‘economic blockade’ of the National Highway that connects Assam with Mizoram, thus affecting supply of essential goods to the state. On July 28, Mizoram home secretary Lalbiaksangi wrote to the Union home secretary Bhalla seeking Centre’s intervention to lift the blockade.

The letter said, “The blockade is adversely affecting the livelihood of the people of Mizoram. Movement of vehicles along other routes connecting Mizoram and Assam has also been blocked inside Assam.” The letter also claimed that  some “unknown miscreants from have Assam have destroyed and removed railway tracks at Mohammedpur and Ramnath pur railway stations in Assam’s Hailakandi district, the only railway line connecting Bairabi railway station on Mizoram’s Kolasib district.”   

The matter was also raised by the Mizoram chief secretary at the meeting in New Delhi. On July 28, the Assam Police prevented a delegation of the state Congress from reaching the disputed area in Lailapur in Cachar district. The delegation led by the newly named state Congress chief Bhupen Bora included the leader of the opposition Debabrat Saikia and its former Silchar MP Sushmita Dev, besides others. They were stopped by Cachar district administration from moving from Silchar town to Lailapur touching Mizoram’s Kolasib district. 

Speaking to reporters at Silchar, Bora said, “This is not an India-Pakistan border, rather an interstate border and we wanted to take stock of the situation. But strangely, we are stuck here.” 

On July 28, a crowd was also spotted outside the Mizoram House, in Silchar town, burning the effigy of Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga. Local news reports said the protesters mostly comprised students and youth. A 12-hour bandh against the killing was also called in the Barak Valley on July 28.