Two Assam ministers visited a border area on Saturday to “pacify and convince locals” to allow the movement of essentials to Mizoram, raising hopes of an end to the unofficial economic blockade imposed by residents on the neighbouring state at a time when the two states are looking to bury the hatchet.
Assam and Mizoram have been on tenterhooks since the July 26 flare-up on their disputed border in which six Assam policemen died in firing from the Mizoram side.
Although trucks laden with essentials and medicines reached the Lailapur inter-state border in Cachar district of Assam’s Barak Valley around 6.30pm, locals stopped them from proceeding to the Variengete check gate in Mizoram.
“Assam ministers Ashok Singhal and Parimal Suklabaidya are trying to resolve the issue. We are hopeful of a breakthrough,” a source said.
Supply of essentials to Mizoram was stopped at the Barak Valley soon after the border clashes on July 26. Mizoram police had accused Assam cops of forcibly entering the disputed area and firing first.
Although the two governments signed a pact on August 5 to end the tension in the border area, the unofficial economic blockade continued, becoming a source of concern and resentment.
While Mizoram is staring at a crisis of essential food items and Covid medicines, Assam’s Barak Valley too is feeling the heat because they are as dependent on Mizoram for jobs and business as Mizoram is on them for essentials.
Mizoram information and publicity minister Lalruatkima said after his discussion with Assam minister Singhal that all vehicles stranded on NH-306 would cross the inter-state border by Saturday evening.
A few hours earlier Lalruatkima had tweeted: “It is unfortunate that supply of testing kits, reagents and other life-saving drugs are still stranded at the Assam-Mizoram border due to continued blockade of NH-306.… ZMC RT-PCR lab is now facing acute shortage of essential testing reagents, and therefore, sample testing in Mizoram is getting capped based on the available stock.”
A leading Guwahati-based citizens’ group, the Axom Nagarik Samaj, on Saturday accused the Centre of inefficiency. It said the situation taking such an “ugly turn is also a reflection on the government of India and its inefficiency and indifference”.
“It is a failure on the part of the Centre that it couldn’t stop the escalation of violence at the border between the security forces of two neighbouring states,” it said.
The Samaj also raised the economic blockade, pointing out that supplies of “life-saving drugs and even Covid vaccines to Mizoram are being stopped”. “The government of Assam and the government of India haven’t done anything to remove the blockade. This is a matter of grave concern for all of us,” it said.
The Nagarik Samaj said the Assam-Mizoram border dispute must be resolved through a process of negotiations, taking all the stakeholders into confidence.
“Economic blockade is no solution. We appeal to all concerned that the economic blockade should be withdrawn immediately and free flow of supplies ensured so that common people in Mizoram don’t suffer. Each state in the Northeast has its distinctive culture. We have differences, but we also have common cultural threads and a shared past,” the Samaj said.
