Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma paid a visit to Silchar Medical College and Hospital on Tuesday to speak with police officers injured in the Assam-Mizoram border skirmish.

Himanta Biswa Sarma instructed the physicians to provide the best possible care to the injured police officers and to prioritise transporting the critically injured to a hospital by air ambulance.

“Visited SMCH to meet injured police officials and directed doctors to ensure the best treatment to them. Asked to send seriously injured personnel for higher level treatment by air ambulance on priority Mins @TheAshokSinghal, @Pijush_hazarika; @DGPAssamPolice; Local MLAs accompanied,” tweeted the CM Biswa Sarma.

According to Assam Minister Parimal Suklabaidya, six Assam Police men were killed in an exchange of fire with their Mizoram counterparts.

Suklabaidya stated that around 80 persons were hurt as a result of Mizoram’s fire. “6 Assam Police personnel have died and around 80 people have been injured in the firing. There was no firing from our side. Firing from the Mizoram side was similar to that by the British at Jallianwala Bagh,” he added.

“A cordial talk with the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) was underway after some men came to our side of the border when the Mizoram side started firing suddenly. As much as I know, the firing continued for at least 30 minutes,” he further said.

Expressing disbelief, the minister said, “We fail to understand the reason behind the move. We live in the same country. They have to cross Assam to enter other Indian states; Assam acts as a corridor to them. Our people never had a bad attitude towards them and still, they did this, we are still shocked.”

Following the altercation, Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga and his counterpart from neighbouring state Himanta Biswa Sarma exchanged words, prompting the Home Minister to intercede.

In response to the tweet, Assam Police stated that miscreants from Mizoram were stone-throwing and assaulting Assam government personnel stationed at Lailapur to defend Assam’s territory from encroachment.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal responded and posted a clipping in which a superintendent of police from Mizoram asked Assam’s authorities to resign, failing which people from the neighbouring state would not halt the violence. He requested quick assistance from Amit Shah, the Home Minister, and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

“How can we run a government in such circumstances?” Sarma wrote.

Soon after, Mizoram CM Zoramthanga wrote to Sarma, “After a cordial meeting of CMs (chaired) by Shah, two companies of Assam Police with civilians lathi-charged and tear-gassed civilians at Vairengte Auto Rickshaw stand inside Mizoram today. They even overrun CRPF personnel/Mizoram Police.”

Zoramthanga shared another video with which he wrote that an innocent couple were “manhandled and ransacked by thugs and goons” on their way back to Mizoram via Cachar in Assam. “How are you going to justify these violent acts?” he wrote.

Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga stated that border conflicts in the northeast are a remnant of the colonial past, and that enduring peace between states is critical for the region’s future development.