E-Paper
Security beefed up in Darashing Hill near Assam-Mizoram border after fresh firing
At around 2 am on Tuesday, an incident of cross-firing took place between Assam police and unknown miscreants from Mizoram at Darashing Hills.
Police officials of both Assam and Mizoram on Wednesday visited the area where cross-firing took place in the wee hours of Tuesday. Superintendents of police of both Assam’s Hailakandi and Mizoram’s Kolasib district informed that they did not find anything suspicious left at that area when they searched in the daylight.
However, as per some reports, few families in Assam’s side have moved to other parts of Hailakandi district from Darashing Hill, the place where the incident took place after the firing. Hailakandi SP Gaurav Upadhyay has denied the claims.
It is worth mentioning that at around 2 am on Tuesday, an incident of cross-firing took place between Assam police and unknown miscreants from Mizoram’s side at Darashing Hills under Bilaipur Police Outpost of Hailakandi district. Nobody from the Assam side got injured in this firing but a Mizoram resident sustained injuries that were not due to bullets.
Kolashib SP Vanlalfaka Ralte has informed that a 41-year-old lady identified as Lalduhawni broke her right arm while running back to Mizoram when the firing started. After initial treatment, doctors released her from the hospital and she is now at home under observation. He visited the border area on Wednesday afternoon but did not find anything suspicious in that area.
Talking to Hindustan Times he said, “Assam police officials have alleged that the firing started from Mizoram side but no police from our district were present there when the incident happened. There were three civilians from Mizoram who did not have arms to fire bullets. We should stop instigating each other and refrain from making comments without any base.”
Ralte also reached out to the three civilians who crossed the border on Monday night. About this, he said, “I have personally talked to those civilians who are residents of Vairengte area. They said they are friends with few families residing in the Bilaipur area of Assam’s Hailakandi district. They went to collect some food and other essential items when Assam police threatened them with bullets. We are not in a war zone and I don’t think the Assam government has given an order to their police to shoot on Mizo civilians at sight in border areas.”
Assam police have claimed that the incident happened on Assam’s land which is not a disputed area. Kolasib SP Vanlalfaka Ralte did not make any comment on this.
According to people privy to the development, as many as eight families have so far moved from Darashing Hills of Hailakandi’s Kathlicherra constituency to other areas after the firing took place.
Denying this report, Hailakandi SP Gaurav Upadhyay said, “We visited the area and talked to several locals after the firing incident happened. Our officials are present at the border areas and there is no report of people shifting to other areas out of fear.”
He also said that the situation is under control and police have asked the locals living in those areas to be alert. “There were attempts of encroachment from Mizoram’s side in past also. There were reports of stealing essentials by Mizo miscreants from Bilaipur. But on Monday night, our on-duty officials noticed some Mizo people inside Assam who were using some sort of signals with torch lights. When our officials were interrogating them, some unknown miscreants started firing from the upper side of the hill and our officials also counter fired. Now we have asked the locals to be alert but as per our report, nobody is leaving the area.”
This was the second firing incident near the Assam-Mizoram border after July 26. Six Assam Police officials were killed in Lailapur area of Cachar district on July 26 which resulted in a mass economic blockade on the Assam side. After several talks between Assam and Mizoram, peace was restored in border areas. Neutral forces have been deployed in disputed areas where locals are not allowed to visit.
