Amit Shah asked about measures taken by state governments to ease tension, sources said (Archive)
New Delhi:
Union Interior Minister Amit Shah held separate telephone conversations with Assam’s and Mizoram’s top ministers on Wednesday to resolve the deadlock between the two states over an interstate border dispute.
Tension has simmered in the border areas since Saturday after clashes between residents of neighboring states. Ground-level talks between the two states failed on Tuesday. Mizoram had said it would import basic goods from abroad if the blockade of trucks carrying supplies in Assam was not eased. Assam had demanded that Mizoram withdraw its forces from its territory.
Mizoram, on Wednesday, decided to withdraw its forces from the Assam border to some extent after intervention by senior central government officials.
According to the sources, Shah inquired about measures taken by state governments to ease tension and said that the Union Interior Ministry has initiated measures to keep the peace on the Assam-Mizoram border.
During his interaction with the Interior Minister, Assam’s Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal informed him that a discussion has already begun with high-level government officials to address the border issue.
He also informed Mr. Shah that Mizoram CM Zoramthanga, during a previous telephone talk, claimed to take positive measures to strengthen peace on the border and strengthen brotherhood between the people.
On Wednesday, the deputy secretary of the Union Ministry of the Interior (northeast), Satyendra Garg, held talks with the interior secretaries of both states in Silchar.
During the talks, all border-related issues and steps necessary to maintain peace and law and order were discussed, a spokesperson said.
Mr. Sonowal has directed the concerned authorities to ensure the continued movement of trucks and other vehicles across the interstate border into Mizoram.
The violence prompted the top ministers of the two states to report to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Ministry of the Interior, who asked them to work together and solve their problems.
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