Mizoram and Assam to host first-ever Border Festival to boost ties

Aizawl: Mizoram and Assam will jointly host their first-ever border festival on November 24 to strengthen goodwill, trust, and friendship between communities on both sides, officials said on Friday.

The day-long event will take place at Dholai in Assam’s Cachar district. District officials from both states reviewed the preparations during a meeting earlier in the day. As part of the festival, teams from Mizoram and Assam will compete in friendly football and volleyball matches to promote unity and sportsmanship.

The programme will also feature cultural performances by troupes from Mizoram’s Vairengte and Mamit, along with artistes from Cachar. The events will be held at the CDC Dholai office ground.

Officials said they expect the festival to help residents along the inter-state border build stronger ties and deepen people-to-people connections. Mizoram’s Aizawl, Kolasib, and Mamit districts share a 164.6-km boundary with Assam’s Cachar, Hailakandi, and Sribhumi districts.

The two states have long grappled with a border dispute rooted in conflicting colonial-era demarcations. The issue remained unresolved for decades and escalated several times.

The most violent flashpoint occurred on July 26, 2021, when police forces from both states clashed near Vairengte in Mizoram, leaving seven people dead and many injured. Since August 2021, Mizoram and Assam have held four rounds of ministerial talks, along with multiple official-level and virtual meetings, to find a resolution.

During the last official-level talks in Guwahati in April this year, both states agreed to maintain status quo in disputed areas and expedite responses to Mizoram’s claims. Officials said the next round of talks is now being scheduled.