“We did not expect such a situation in which the Mizoram police would open fire on us. We are brothers, ”said Gopi Kanta Sinha – a police Jawan from Assam who was injured in a border collision with Mizoram on July 26th. The clash claimed the lives of seven people, including six police officers.
Gopi Kanta Sinha is now admitted to the Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH).
Read: Decrypted | Border dispute between Assam and Mizoram: A row unsolved for almost 150 years
HOW DID THE FIGHT BEGIN?
“On July 26th, some Mizo people pushed us in the Lailapur area and there was a scuffle-like situation. But after a while they went back. But later several people from the Mizoram side gathered on site and started throwing stones. They opened fire on us, shot air at us – and injured some people on our side, ”said Gopi Kanta Sinha.
“After this incident, when the SP Cachar and the SP had a peaceful meeting in the Kolasib district of Mizoram, they (Mizoram’s side) started shooting at us and we were not prepared for such a situation. Four policemen working together were present with the meeting. Our SP suffered gunshot wounds, five of our colleagues died on the spot, ”he said.
Gopi Kanta Sinha said the problem shocked her as “the Assam police and Mizo police are like brothers”. He said, “We don’t know why they shot us.”
YOU MUST BE FIRE
He alleged that the Mizoram police continued to fire at the Assam police.
“They kept shooting at us and we couldn’t get out of there. We had fired a few bullets too. When the firing on the Mizoram side stopped, we slowly got out from here. I was later taken to the hospital by ambulance. I didn’t have a lot of sense then, ”said Gopi Kanta Sinha.
Sarafat Ali Laskar, another Assam police officer who was also injured in the violent clashes, said Mizo police personnel and the public attacked Assam police personnel from the upper slope.
“First they pelted stones and later started shooting. I was injured in the attack and fell into the drain. That saved my life. While I was in the drain, one of my colleagues yelled for help after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds, but at that point I was completely helpless, ”said Sarafat Ali Laskar.
Dr. BK Bezbaruah, director of Silchar Medical College and the hospital, said 52 patients were treated in the casualty department and four were discharged the same day for having minor injuries.
“Out of 48 patients, four were referred, including Cachar District SP. Cachar’s SP was flown to Mumbai for better treatment and one patient was flown to Guwahati, ”said Dr. BK Bezbaruah.
WHAT HAPPENS AT THE ASSAM-MIZORAM BORDER?
The long-standing border dispute between Assam and Mizoram broke out on Monday on the outskirts of Vairengte in the Mizoram district of Kolasib after a clash between police forces and civilians from both countries. Kolasib borders the Cachar district in Assam.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed that Mizoram Police used “light machine guns” at the Assam police, which resulted in the deaths of five police officers and one civilian on Monday. A sixth policeman from Assam died today from his injuries.
Zoramthanga, the prime minister of Mizoram, responded to the allegation by alleging that 200 Assam police officers violently entered the state at a location near the Vairengte autorickshaw stand.
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