India has deployed security forces along the border between Mizoram and Assam, as the situation continues to remain grim following a clash on Saturday night in which dozens of people were seriously injured. Speaking to Sputnik, police officials from Mizoram and Assam revealed that situation is tense but remains under control, as of now.
"Apart from deploying security, personnel are carrying out continuous patrols in the violence-hit areas near Vairengte village in Mizoram and Assam's Lailapur. The situation is under control" the officials emphasised.
Speaking to media, H. Lalthlangliana, a senior police official in Mizoram, said that residents of Vairengte, Mizoram assembled in large numbers when some people from Assam, armed with sticks, pelted stones at a group near the auto-rickshaw stands on the outskirts of the border village.
"Following which the angry mob from Vairengte retaliated and set about 20 temporary bamboo huts and stalls built along the national highway by residents of Lailapur on fire despite a prohibitory order being in place," he said.
Meanwhile, a senior police official from Assam said that they swung into action after receiving reports of a few temporary houses and stalls being set on fire, following which they brought the situation under control.
Sensing the gravity of the situation, federal Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla has called a review meeting between the two states on Monday evening. The chief secretaries of the two states will be present in the meeting.
Meanwhile, the Assam government claimed that "the incident was the handiwork of miscreants to create a disturbance in the community".
On Sunday, Home minister of Mizoram Lalchamliana said that they have urged the Assam to to make efforts to diffuse the tension and restore peace and tranquillity in the border area.
The two states share a border that is about 165 km in length. Several dialogues held since 1995 to resolve the border dispute have yielded little results.
