Mizoram to Reinitiate Border Negotiations with Tripura and Assam

Mizoram's Upcoming Border Talks

AIZAWL, Sept 7: Mizoram is gearing up to restart official discussions with Tripura and Assam to address its ongoing inter-state border conflicts. The initial talks with Tripura are anticipated to occur later this month, followed by a meeting with Assam in October.

According to State Home Minister K Sapdanga, Mizoram officials will first engage with their counterparts from Tripura in Agartala before proceeding to discussions with Assam in Aizawl.

These negotiations with Assam have been pending for over a year, despite prior agreements to hold the next meeting in Aizawl.

“The officials will first meet with Tripura's government representatives in Agartala during September,” Sapdanga stated, noting that the specific date for the Mizoram-Assam discussions is still to be determined.

Officials from the Home Department indicated that the dialogue with Tripura will take place at the Secretary level. The Tripura government has suggested dates between September 7 and 17, but a final date has yet to be confirmed.

The discussions with Tripura are expected to center around the long-standing dispute concerning Phuldungsei village, which both states claim. This issue has been complicated by both governments issuing ration cards to residents, thereby asserting administrative control over the area.

Another contentious topic is Thaidawr hill near Phuldungsei, where earlier proposals for constructing government buildings and a Hindu temple had escalated tensions.

A senior official from the Mizoram Home Department mentioned that the upcoming talks will not be limited to just Phuldungsei and Thaidawr hill.

“In addition to Phuldungsei and Thaidawr hill, the negotiations will likely encompass a broader range of issues,” the official added.

Meanwhile, Mizoram is also looking forward to resuming discussions with Assam regarding their more intricate and historically fraught boundary dispute.

During the last official-level meeting held in Guwahati on April 25, 2025, both state governments agreed to convene their next meeting in Aizawl “as soon as possible.”

However, this proposed meeting has faced multiple delays. Factors such as the Assembly elections in Assam, which took place in April this year, have contributed to the postponement, according to officials. Sapdanga expressed that the Mizoram government anticipates the dialogue with Assam to occur after the Tripura discussions, likely in October.

The border dispute between Mizoram and Assam dates back to 1972, when Mizoram transitioned from being a district of Assam to a Union Territory under the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971. The boundary established by this legislation was not accepted by either state, leading to a prolonged dispute.

The 164.6-km inter-state boundary has experienced periodic tensions and localized conflicts, particularly concerning land use and boundary locations in overlapping areas.

The disagreement primarily arises from the two states adhering to different historical demarcations.

Mizoram argues that the boundary should follow the 1875 notification under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR), 1873, which designated the Inner Line Reserved Forest as the boundary between the Lushai Hills and Assam.

Conversely, Assam relies on a 1933 notification from the British era that defined the boundary of the Lushai Hills district.

The contrasting interpretations of these historical notifications have been central to the dispute, with successive governments of both states maintaining their respective stances.

As official-level talks are set to resume with both neighboring states, the Mizoram government is hopeful that these new negotiations will help bridge differences and lead to a peaceful resolution of the long-standing border issues.