Mizoram, Assam to host first-ever Border Festival on November 24

Guwahati: Mizoram and Assam will jointly hold their first border festival on November 24 to promote friendship and trust among communities on both sides, officials said Friday.

The festival, scheduled at Dholai in Assam’s Cachar district, was discussed in a meeting of district officials from both states.

The day-long event will include friendly football and volleyball matches between Mizoram and Assam teams, along with cultural performances by troupes from Mizoram’s Vairengte and Mamit districts and artists from Cachar, to encourage unity and sportsmanship.

Officials said the festival aims to strengthen connections among residents along the interstate border.

Mizoram’s Aizawl, Kolasib, and Mamit districts share a 164.6-km border with Assam’s Cachar, Sribhumi, and Hailakandi districts.

The two states have had a long-standing border dispute due to conflicting colonial-era demarcations, which has occasionally led to violence, including a clash near Vairengte village in July 2021 that killed seven people.

Talks have been ongoing since August 2021, aiming to keep the current situation and settle outstanding issues; the most recent meeting was held in Guwahati in April.

The next round of discussions is being planned.