Economic blockade on Mizoram lifted

The economic blockade on Mizoram was lifted by locals in Assam late on August 7 night after more than four hours of parley between them and two Assam Ministers and officials.

Officials said nine goods trucks, stranded at Lailapur in southern Assam’s Cachar district, proceeded to Mizoram on National Highway 306 after the locals were assured of justice for six Assam policemen and a civilian killed in firing allegedly by Mizoram police personnel and armed civilians on July 26.

Lailapur is the last Assam town near the border with Mizoram.

“The sentiment of the local people is very strong. They relented after a marathon 270 hours of discussion in the greater interest of relations between the two sister States and peace in the area,” Assam’s Urban Development Minister Ashok Singhal told The Puucho on August 8.

“Nine trucks moved to Mizoram on August 7 night but the other stranded heavy vehicles waited for daybreak to proceed,” Mr. Singhal, also the “Guardian Minister” of Cachar district said.

Mr. Singhal had met the locals along with Environment and Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya, who is also the local MLA, Cachar’s Deputy Commissioner Keerthi Jalli and Superintendent of Police Ramandeep Kaur.

While the meeting was on, the local people pelted stones and vandalised some Mizoram-bound trucks.

“For some reason, the vehicle started moving before the meeting ended. Efforts to pacify the people were fruitless until the SP calmed the mob,” an official at the Lailapur police station said.

Mizoram’s Minister (Independent Charge) for Rural Development Lalruatkima thanked the Assam government for engaging with the locals to lift the blockade. “Vehicles carrying COVID-19 testing kits, reagents and other life-saving drugs had been stranded in Assam, forcing our government to cap sample testing based on the available stock,” he said.