SRIBHUMI | Tension has resurfaced along the Assam-Mizoram border in Sribhumi district after a group of Mizo residents allegedly entered nearly two kilometres into Assam and claimed the area as part of Mizoram, officials said.

The incident was reported from West Kalagang under the Ramkrishnanagar subdivision, where the group allegedly objected to the construction of a house by a local resident and prevented the work from proceeding.

Following the development, Assam officials and police reached the area to assess the situation and prevent any escalation. Ramkrishnanagar Sub-Divisional Circle Officer Antara Pal and Jatrabari Police Station Officer-in-Charge Chittaranjan Bora visited the disputed site along with police personnel.

Officials from the two states subsequently held discussions with the Officer-in-Charge of Kanmun Police Station in Mizoram’s Mamit district. The meeting focused on maintaining peace and preventing the dispute from escalating. As an interim measure, both sides agreed to maintain the existing status quo in the area.

Under the arrangement, no new houses or other structures will be permitted in the disputed stretch until the land issue is resolved. The latest development has renewed concerns among residents of West Kalagang and adjoining areas, where disputes over boundary demarcation, land surveys and possession have surfaced repeatedly.

The disputed area is located close to the Singla Forest Reserve under the Cheragi Range and is considered a sensitive stretch along the Assam-Mizoram boundary. The two states have previously held discussions over alleged encroachment in the Soru Bhirband area. Several rounds of talks were conducted in 2020, but residents claim that they failed to produce a permanent resolution.

A separate dispute later emerged near West Kalagang LP School over the measurement and identification of land, further highlighting the difficulties surrounding boundary demarcation in the region. With fresh claims now emerging, residents have renewed their demand for a clear and mutually accepted demarcation of the inter-state boundary to prevent recurring disputes and confrontations.

The Assam-Mizoram border has a history of serious tensions. The most violent confrontation occurred on July 26, 2021, when six Assam Police personnel were killed during a clash involving police forces of the two states at the Lailapur border area in Cachar district.

Against this backdrop, the latest dispute has drawn close attention from both administrations.

Although the situation in West Kalagang remained peaceful after the intervention of officials, residents fear that unresolved questions over land ownership and the precise location of the inter-state boundary could lead to renewed tensions if a lasting settlement is not reached.

For now, officials from both sides have agreed to maintain the status quo, while the underlying dispute over the land remains unresolved.