Mizoram says ready for lawsuit on border issue

Aizawl: Mizoram Deputy Chief Minister Tawnluia on Thursday said his government is ready to face any lawsuit over claims that it had encroached on neighbour Assam’s territory.
The Deputy Chief Minister’s remarks came as a rebuttal to the encroachment charge levelled by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday, who said his government would move the Supreme Court over the issue, the PTI reported.
Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, Tawnluia denied any encroachment by Mizoram on the neighbouring state’s territory.
We are ready and well prepared to be tried in a law court. We have valid documents to substantiate our stand, he said.
He said that Mizoram is merely protecting the territorial integrity of the state.
The two states have differing interpretations of their territorial border. While Mizoram believes that its border lies along an inner line drawn up in 1875 to protect tribals from the influence of plainsmen, Assam goes by a district demarcation survey done in the 1930s.
Tawnluia, who heads the boundary commission constituted by the state government last week, said the commission will deal with the boundary issue and its decision on issues related to the border with neighbouring states would be final.
He claimed that the commission has obtained important documents on boundary issue.
Earlier on Tuesday, Sarma had told reporters in Silchar that his government would move the Supreme Court over encroachment by the neighbouring state.
He had said that any settlement within the reserved forest areas is illegal and his government was protecting the reserved forest areas and the territorial integrity of the state.