Assam on Monday decided to send two ministers to Mizoram to hold talks on the festering border dispute between the two states a week after cross border clashes. Six Assam Police personnel were killed at the border after their counterparts from across the border fired on them. The decision comes on a day when both the states made conciliatory moves to defuse tension and restore peace.
In a tweet, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the two ministers, Ashok Singhal and Atul Bora, would visit Mizoram on August 5. “Further in aid of an early amicable resolution, I am sending my cabinet colleagues, @ATULBORA and @TheAshokSinghal to Aizawl on 5 Aug, 21, for a meaningful dialogue. Assam stands committed to ensuring peace on its borders, paving the way for a peaceful & developed North-East,” he tweeted on Monday evening.
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The day witnessed the Twitter handles of Sarma and his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga making a departure from the acrimonious exchanges of the past few days - since July 26 when the flare-up occurred at Lailapur in Assam’s Cachar district – to ooze magnanimity.
Early in the morning, Sarma tweeted that he had directed the police to withdraw the FIR against Mizoram Rajya Sabha MP K Vanlalvena as a “goodwill gesture”. Sarma, however, said the cases against Mizoram officials would remain. This came in response to Zoramthanga on Sunday expressing a desire to settle the border dispute amicably.
Police had booked Vanlalvena for his threat of killing all and not just a few of the Assam policemen who enter the state next time. Police had summoned him to appear at Dholai police station in Cachar district on Sunday.
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Zoramthanga did not take too long to reciprocate to the gesture. He directed the police to withdraw the FIR filed against Sarma and six officials in connection with the July 26 violence.
“In order to build a conducive atmosphere for an amicable solution to the #MizoramAssamBorder dispute and to reduce the plight of suffering citizens, I have directed @mizorampolice to withdraw FIR dt. 26.07.21 filed at Vairengte, Kolasib District, Mizoram against all the accused persons,” Zoramthanga tweeted.
The FIR against the Assam chief minister and the officials was filed under various criminal charges, including attempt to murder. On the other hand, Assam Police filed the case against Vanlalvena for having said that the next time Assam policemen entered Mizoram all would be killed and not just a few.
Not to be found wanting, Sarma then directed the police to withdraw the cases against the Mizoram officials too. “…I heartily reciprocate this positive gesture and ask @assampolice to withdraw cases against DC Kolasib and SDPO Virengte,” he tweeted.
He then followed it up with the message about the decision to send the two ministers to Mizoram for the dialogue.
