Assam-Mizoram Border Talks Scheduled for April 25 in Guwahati

In a renewed effort to resolve the long-standing border dispute, officials from Assam and Mizoram will meet for official-level talks on April 25 in Guwahati. Mizoram Home Minister K Sapdanga made the announcement on Monday, adding that the outcome of this meeting could pave the way for future ministerial-level discussions.

While the names of Mizoram’s delegates are yet to be finalized, it is expected that Home Secretary Vanlalmawia will lead the delegation. Sapdanga emphasized that the success of the talks will determine the roadmap for the next phase of negotiations between the two states.

Previously, Assam had proposed holding the talks in the third week of March. However, Mizoram requested a postponement due to its ongoing assembly session and a visit by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during that period.

The border dispute between Mizoram and Assam is rooted in conflicting interpretations of colonial-era boundaries. Mizoram cites the 1875 Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) map, which includes 509 square miles of Inner Line Reserved Forest as its legitimate boundary. Assam, however, adheres to the 1933 map prepared by the Survey of India, claiming it as the constitutional boundary.

The 164.6-kilometer border separating Mizoram’s Aizawl, Kolasib, and Mamit districts from Assam’s Cachar, Karimganj, and Hailakandi districts remains poorly demarcated on the ground, resulting in overlapping territorial claims and frequent tensions.

One of the most severe clashes occurred on July 26, 2021, in Mizoram’s Vairengte village, where a violent confrontation between the police forces of both states led to seven deaths and numerous injuries, drawing national attention to the severity of the dispute.

Since August 2021, Assam and Mizoram have engaged in four rounds of ministerial-level talks, along with several official and district-level discussions. The last such meeting was held in Aizawl on August 9, 2023.