The Mizoram government has formally proposed to Assam to hold official-level talks in mid-April to address the long-standing border dispute, a senior home department official confirmed on Friday. Mizoram Home Secretary Vanlalmawia stated that a letter has been sent to Assam for the fourth time, suggesting that discussions be held at the official level before the ministerial talks in Guwahati. “We are awaiting Assam’s response. These preliminary discussions are crucial to finalizing the groundwork and modalities before the next ministerial-level dialogue,” he said. During the last ministerial meeting in Aizawl on August 9, 2024, both states agreed that official-level talks should take place at least three times before the fifth round of ministerial discussions. However, despite multiple requests from Mizoram, a final confirmation from Assam is still pending.
Previously, Assam had proposed holding the talks in March 2025, but Mizoram declined due to its ongoing assembly session and the visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The border dispute involves Mizoram’s Aizawl, Kolasib, and Mamit districts, which share a 164.6 km boundary with Assam’s Cachar, Karimganj, and Hailakandi districts. The conflict primarily stems from two colonial-era demarcations—one from 1875 under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) and another from 1933. Mizoram claims that the 509 square miles of the Inner Line Reserved Forest (ILRF) delineated in 1875 should define its boundary, while Assam adheres to the 1933 map prepared by the Survey of India.
The border dispute has led to multiple violent clashes, with the most severe occurring on July 26, 2021, near Vairengte village in Mizoram, where a deadly confrontation between the police forces of both states resulted in seven fatalities and several injuries. In the last round of talks, both sides agreed to maintain peace along the border and organize joint cultural and sports events to foster better relations. The next ministerial-level discussion was initially scheduled to take place before March 31, 2025, but with delays in official-level talks, the timeline remains uncertain.
