From Bhupen Goswami
Guwahati: There has been a violent clash between the people of Assam and Mizoram again. Tension has arisen on the border of both the States after the incident. In the last 15 days, no truck from Assam was able to enter the state on Thursday in Mizoram as the route on NH-306 connecting both the states is blocked. The Assam government has decided to conduct a high level inquiry into the kidnapping and murder of an Assamese youth by miscreants from the border areas of Mizoram by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The seriousness of the matter can be realised by the fact that the state Forest and Excise Minister Parimal Shuklavaidya is visiting the border areas in the Laapur area of Kachar district along with dignitaries other than the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police. Shuklavaidya said that the state Government would conduct a high level inquiry into the incident. He said the government has also decided to hand over the matter to nia. An official source said that in view of the forthcoming Assam assembly elections, some people are spreading unrest along the Assam Mizoram border to take political advantage.
According to intelligence reports, Home Minister Amit Shah has directed the Assam government to look into the matter by the National Investigation Agency. Therefore, the Government of Assam has handed over the incident to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for investigation. Assam Chief Secretary Jishnu Barua today said that the central forces are soon reaching the state for deployment along the inter-state border with Mizoram. Barua told reporters that after reaching the force in a day or two, they will be deployed in areas bordering Cachar and Karimganj.
“When the force is deployed here, there will be peace on both sides,” he said. The Chief Secretary has directed the officials of Cachar and Karimganj district administration to keep a constant vigil in The Laapur and Medlichera area on the border with Mizoram. Chief Secretary and Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta reviewed the law and order situation along the inter-state border with Mizoram. Several officers including deputy commissioner of Police, several superintendent of Police were present. The Chief secretary said that he has come here to review the law and order situation on the direction of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and meet the family of the person killed by criminals in that part of the border (Mizoram). He said, an assistance of five lakh rupees has been given to the victim’s family.
“I am concerned that the life of an innocent person was potentially caused by criminals,” Barua said. We want to have a detailed inquiry into this. There has been tension on the Assam-Mizoram border since last month as several houses located here were damaged by criminals, after which talks between the officials of both the States are going on. In Assam, 45-year-old man Intajul Laskar of Cachar district died in a hospital on Monday. The Assam government claims that the person was abducted while mizoram officials say that Laskar smuggled the drug and was seriously injured and died while trying to escape. The Chief Secretary of Assam said that all possible steps are being taken to find a peaceful solution to the problem. He said that this is an inter-state issue, a matter between two different communities and there is no question of disposing of it in any way other than peaceful means.
