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Flare-up in Border Dispute with Mizoram, 2 Houses Torched in Assam's Hailakandi

Reported by

Sarup Sinha

Legal Data by

Anmol Gupta, Mukta Joshi

Edited by

Moushumi Sharma

Updated by

Published on

March 24, 2022

March 24, 2022

Updated on

March 24, 2022

Location of Conflict

Gutguti

Gallacher, Bairabi

Hailakandi

Reason or Cause of Conflict

Border Dispute

(

)

People Affected by Conflict

Households Affected by Conflict

Land Area Affected (in Hectares)

ha

Starting Year

2021

State

Assam

Sector

Land Use
Summary
Fact Sheet
Legal Data
Additional
Information
Resources
Images
Videos

The Assam-Mizoram border dispute saw tension escalate in the Gutguti-Gallacher area. According to reports, two abandoned houses were torched in Hailakandi district in Assam on June 4, 2021, allegedly by unidentified people from Mizoram. Additionally, they also constructed a structure on Assam’s territory. A case was filed with the Bairabi police station to identify the persons involved in the incident. LCW could not ascertain if arrests were made. 

Vanlalfaka Ralte, the superintendent of police in Mizoram’s Kolasib district, told the media that abandoned houses were previously occupied by non-tribal people working at the paddy fields for the Mizos. He alleged that Bangladeshi immigrants had burnt the houses to flare up the border dispute between the two states. He, however, added that the disputed site falls within the territory of Mizoram and that the paddy field owners had land documents in Mizoram and paid land taxes to the state government. 

Hailakandi district Superintendent of Police Ramandeep Kaur, on the other hand, claimed that the area falls under the inner line reserve forest, spanning 509 square kilometres between the border districts of Assam and Mizoram. “Some temporary houses have been constructed 300 metres inside Assam’s territory by a group from Mizoram. These are forest areas, and we don’t have roads and proper ways of transport to reach the border area. But on Mizoram’s side, they have constructed roads to reach these areas,” she said. Some newspapers  have reported incursions up to four kilometres inside Assam’s territory. According to Kaur, the matter has been taken up at a higher level by both the states.

Assam and Mizoram have been embroiled in a long-standing border dispute. Three districts in Assam -- Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi -- and three districts in Mizoram -- Kolasib, Mamit and Aizawl -- share a 164.6-kilometre border having several disputed areas. Despite multiple rounds of talk, the border dispute remains unsolved.
 
On September 24, 2014, a meeting was held between the officials of Assam and Mizoram in which the two states had agreed to maintain a status quo along the border. But since October 2020, several incidents of torching and encroachment have been reported along the inter-state boundary. In November 2020, alleged miscreants from Mizoram blew up two government schools in Cachar adjoining Haliakandi.

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand for legal recognition of land rights

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand to resolve the long-standing border dispute

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Common and Private

Type of Common Land

Forest and Non-Forest

Total investment involved (in Crores):

₹

Type of investment:

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Legislations/Policies Involved

Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act, 1873
Section 2 [State government of Mizoram to prescribe and alter the “Inner Line” in any of its districts by official gazette. State government to have the power to prohibit Indian citizens/residents residing outside such districts from entering Inner Line without an issued pass]; Section 4 [State government to have power to issue passes and impose restrictions for issuance of the same]
Notification No. 2106 A.P., Government of Assam dated March 9, 1933
[Boundary between the states of Assam and Mizoram were demarcated in this notification]
North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971
Section 3 [Establishment of Mizoram as a new state comprising the territories that were part of the Union territory of Mizoram]
State of Mizoram Act, 1986
Section 3 [Establishment of Mizoram as a new state comprising the territories that were part of the Union territory of Mizoram]

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Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

No

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Land record discrepancies

Legal Status:

Out of Court

Status of Case In Court

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

No

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Case Number

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

Torching of houses

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

No

Reported Details of the Violation:

Alleged miscreants from Mizoram reportedly torched two abandoned houses in the disputed border area.

Date of Violation

June 3, 2021

Location of Violation

Gutguti-Gallacher

Nature of Protest

Complaints/petitions/letters/memorandums to officials

Property damage/arson

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Office of the Deputy Commissioner Hailakandi, Assam; Office of the Deputy Commissioner Kolasib, Mizoram

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Documented By

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Reviewed By

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Updated By

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Edited By

Text LinkLand Conflict Watch

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