Full demarcation of border needed for durable solution to Assam-Mizo dispute: BJP leader

New Delhi: BJP leader Mmhonlumo Kikon, an MLA in the Nagaland Assembly and his party's in-charge for Mizoram, on Tuesday pitched for full demarcation of the border between Assam and Mizoram as a durable solution to the dispute between the two states.

His comments came a day after at least five Assam Police personnel were killed and more than 60 people, including an SP, were injured as the festering border dispute between the two northeastern states erupted into a bloody conflict. With Home Minister Amit Shah stepping in to resolve the crisis, Kikon expressed hope that a solution to the crisis will soon be found. Peace must prevail on the border, there should be a dialogue between the two states and their borders should be fully demarcated, he said, when asked about the likely solution to the dispute.

While the BJP is in power in Assam, Mizo National Front, a member of the saffron party-led North-East Democratic Alliance (NEA) rules the bordering state. While the two parties being allies should help resolve the matter, party sources said emotions have been running high on both sides following the skirmish, and that a lot will depend on how the central government uses its agency to calm things down and push both states towards a durable solution. "All parties in the two states have hardened their positions along the regional lines," a source pointed out, adding that the crisis had been flaring up for some time before it escalated into violence on Monday.

Shah has spoken to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga and urged them to ensure peace along the disputed border and find an amicable settlement. BJP general secretary Dilip Saikia, a Lok Sabha MP from Assam, said earlier on Tuesday that the Mizoram government should apologise to the Assam government and Assamese people for the death of five police personnel.