Bhaskar Exclusive: Assam and Mizoram police set up camps in forests, not roads; Soldiers deployed with weapons, a view like the border of two countries

The situation on the road and in the city between the North East states of Assam and Mizoram looks normal, but the atmosphere in the forest is tense. Police of both the states are face to face in Burachep, about 20 km from Vairangte in Kolasib district of Mizoram.

The Assam Police has set up camps at the height of the mountains. Where jawans are standing for LMG. There are camps of Mizoram Police under the mountain. Here too the soldiers have LMGs. On July 26, there was firing between the two states over the border dispute, in which 6 policemen of Assam were martyred.

We inspected the entire situation by reaching the same ground zero. Read this detail report from the ground…

CRPF personnel are stationed at the Police Patrol Post at Lailapur in Cachar district of Assam. This road connects Mizoram to Assam. On July 26, the police of Assam and Mizoram came face-to-face in the same area and opened fire, in which 7 people were killed.

When we reached Lailapur on 2nd August, Monday morning at 8 am, we were stopped by CRPF for investigation. After showing the name and the press card, permission was given to go ahead. After walking some distance, another barricade of CRPF was found. Here also complete details were noted. Apart from the barricades installed everywhere, CRPF personnel are patrolling with guns on the way. Before entering Mizoram, we got the third barricade of CRPF. Inquiry was made here also, then it was allowed to go ahead.

While going to Mizoram via Lailapur in Cachar district of Assam, we found three such check posts, where we were allowed to proceed only after seeing the press card and entering. On July 26, the Assam-Mizoram Police clashed in the same area over the border dispute.

After the third check post, we reached the place where there was violence between the two states on 26th July. Some burnt vehicles were seen parked on the road itself. A bus was also standing, whose glass was broken. Mizoram was written on it in red letters. Proceeding from here, we found the entry gate of Mizoram Police.

The special thing is that from where the border of Mizoram begins, there is no CRPF but Mizoram Police. Our vehicle was stopped before going inside, then on being told by the media, entry was given in writing. After this check post, crossing two more barricades, we reached the Vairangte police check gate. Entered here again.

At the Varangate police check gate, we found Major Carolyn, a media officer appointed by the Mizoram Police. He told, ‘In Lailapur, the clash between the two states took place on July 26, but the tension had started from July 10 itself. Because the police of Assam entered our area and they destroyed the arecanut plantations on the mountains and made their camps there. Since then there was anger among the people, whose reaction was seen on 26 July.

After crossing the Lailapur area of ​​Assam, the Wairangte area of ​​Mizoram begins. But there is a difference in the deployment of security forces in both the states. CRPF was deployed at the Assam border check post, while Mizoram Police personnel were seen deployed in Mizoram.

Police of both the states face to face in Itlang, Burachep

We accompanied Caroline to Aitlong and Burachep to know the location of the spot. We were shown camps on the mountain from the terrace of a house located a short distance from the Vairangte police check gate. Pointing towards the camp, local resident Rocky said that this area comes under Vairangte. We have been doing farming here for years, but on June 29, more than two hundred soldiers from Assam entered here and destroyed the fields. We along with our police tried to stop them. Still they made camps on the mountain.

Some such camps have been set up by the Mizoram Police in Vairangte. These have temporary accommodation for the soldiers. The Mizoram government has alleged that the Assam Police destroyed the crops of the farmers living in this area, after which violence broke out.

It was not possible to reach Aitlong due to rain, as there is a unpaved road through the dense forest, which is not accessible in the rain. When we looked through binoculars, five to six police camps were seen. In this, one camp is of Mizoram Police and three to four camps are of Assam Police.

After knowing the position of Itlang, we proceeded to Burachep. Burachep is a small town in Vairangte itself. Farming is done here in the mountains. Areca nut and betel are grown in it. On the other hand, where there is some space in the middle of the mountains, a little paddy is planted there. It is about 20 km from Vairangte police post.

This is the market of Burachep, a small town in the Wairangte area of ​​Mizoram. The people of Burachep told that on July 10, Assam Police arrived with JCB and destroyed our crops to build the road. Since then there were tensions between the two states.

We had to walk a distance of two to three kms as there is no movement of vehicles here. On reaching Burachep, six to seven camps of Mizoram Police were seen downstairs. Two-three camps of Assam Police were seen on the mountains. Berachup comes under Fenuam Panchayath. We had taken Lafamkima, a member of the Fenuam Panchayat, with us to know about the occasion. Apart from them, we also had Carolina, Lalhalimpuiya, H Chunana, Rocky Lalchandama, Lalremruta and Hruimawia. These are also the local people of Mizoram.

Lafakmaima said that on July 10, more than a hundred Assam Police brought JCB to Burachep village and built a road. We went to get ten or twenty men to stop the work, because this is our village and our land. Here we have been cultivating the mountains for years, but they hit us. They made camps in our arecanut plantation. In response, our police also set up camps. We have been doing farming here for 70 years, but this has never happened before, which is happening now.

Vehicles are not coming from Assam to Mizoram, supply completely stopped

There is silence on the National Highway connecting Assam and Mizoram. Not a single vehicle of commercial goods has arrived from Assam since the July 26 violence. Mizoram is largely dependent on Assam for the supply of food and daily supplies.

National Highway 306 connects Mizoram with Assam. In Mizoram, the supply of essential items like food, oil, gas, clothes etc. comes from Assam itself. No commercial goods have come to Mizoram from Assam since the violence broke out between the two states on July 26.

According to information received from Mizoram Check Post, from July 26 to August 2 at 5 pm, a total of 421 vehicles went from Mizoram to Assam. In which both private and commercial vehicles were involved, but only CRPF and media vehicles took entry from Assam to Mizoram.