Mizoram Holds Firm on 1875 Boundary with Assam

AIZAWL/ GUWAHATI-  The Mizoram government on February 27 reaffirmed its longstanding position that the boundary notification issued in 1875 remains the only acceptable demarcation for its interstate boundary with Assam, even as dialogue with Assam proceeds to resolve the decades-old dispute.

In a written reply to questions in the state assembly, Mizoram Home Minister K. Sapdanga stated that the 1875 boundary — notifying the Cachar Inner Line under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation — constitutes the historical and legal basis for the state’s territorial claim. He emphasised that this stance has broad consensus across political parties and major non-governmental organisations in Mizoram and has remained unchanged since the late 1950s, when the area was administered as part of Assam.

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Assam, however, continues to refer to an Inner Line demarcation from a 1933 notification related to the then Lushai Hills district, which both states interpret differently in their official records.

The differing positions reflect deep-rooted historical and administrative understandings of the border, dating back to British colonial demarcations. Mizoram’s insistence on the 1875 line stems from its origins in the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, which the state argues was drawn with input from local chiefs and reflects the historical boundary of the region. Assam’s reliance on the 1933 Inner Line stems from subsequent administrative changes.

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Despite these contradictions, both states have engaged in sustained talks. Since a deadly border clash in July 2021 near Vairengte that resulted in multiple deaths, including six Assam police personnel, successive rounds of ministerial and official-level discussions have sought to bridge differences and de-escalate tensions.

According to Sapdanga, meetings between state representatives and engagements with the Central government have been pursued to find an amicable settlement. Mizoram’s government clarified that a 2019 council of ministers resolution did not alter its position, rather it reaffirmed the existing 1875 basis. Assam’s government, meanwhile, maintains its view based on the later Inner Line.

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Efforts such as joint cultural festivals and confidence-building measures on the border have been part of attempts to sustain peace, even as substantive differences in boundary interpretations persist. Both states share a 164.6-kilometre frontier involving districts in Assam’s Barak Valley region and Mizoram’s Aizawl, Kolasib and Mamit districts.

The dispute highlights the enduring legacy of colonial era boundary notifications and their implications for interstate relations in Northeast India, with negotiations ongoing under the supervision of the Central government.