Mizos want their 'Assam-dominated land' back

Guwahati, Aug 11 (UNI) Amid persisting tension along the inter-state border areas of North East, the Mizo Students' Association(MSA) today asked Assam to hand over the reserve forests of the Lushai area to their state.

Seeking the personal intervention of the Assam chief minister in resolving the boundary dispute between the two states, MSA president PC Laltlansanga told a press conference here, ''Historically, the 509 square miles of inner line reserve forests in the Lushai area belongs to Mizoram and the area should be given back.

''In 1877, the then chief commissioner of Assam had declared the Lushai forest as inner line reserve forests after parts of it were destroyed by Lushai tribal chiefs for jhum cultivation. The arbitrary act, which was done without the approval of the Lushais, was an insult to the territorial integrity of the Lushais--the native settlers,'' Mr Laltlansanga said.

He claimed that the Assam Government had admitted their fault in 1953 and allowed the Mizo District Council to share the revenue collected from the villages in the Lushai forest areas.

The Mizo Student Delegation met Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi yesterday with three demands, including demarcation of the boundary and preventing people from cultivating in the disputed areas till the boundary dispute in resolved.

Mr Gogoi was understood to have told the Mizo student delegation that at present it was not 'possible' to hand over the forest areas to Mizoram, and the Assam Government would abide by the decision of the boundary commission appointed by the Supreme Court.

However, Mr Laltlansanga said, the chief minister had directed the Assam chief secretary to discuss the situation in the border areas with his Mizoram counterpart and prevent any further violence.

Mizoram, a district of Assam till 1973 until it became a union territory, was declared a state in 1987. According to the boundary demarcated in 1987, the disputed reserve forests falls within Assam.

Tension in the Mizoram border in Cachar and Karimganj districts of Assam mounted after renewed clashes over the boundary dispute last month. The killing of a Mizo by non-Mizo robbers, further escalated tension, with reports of threats to non-Mizo settlers in Mizoram.

The MSA, however, denied reports that Mizo organizations had imposed a curfew for the non-Mizos. ''Yes, we had asked the non-Mizos to remain indoors to prevent any backlash,'' the student body claimed.

Ruing 'unabated raids by Assam Police in Mizoram territory and frequent arrest of Mizo cultivators', the MSA stressed on an amicable and peaceful settlement of the vexed dispute.

UNI