Four days have passed since the violent clash between Assam and Mizoram at Vairengte and uneasy atmosphere surrounds the border area as Assam continues to impose the economic blockade against Mizoram in spite of the officials sent to the Union Home Secretary by the Home Secretary of Mizoram.
Though Assam strongly denies the economic blockade, ground correspondents from the national media have confirmed that Assam has indeed block the movement of vehicles in National Highway-306, which is the major entry point of good and supplies to Mizoram.
On 28 July, 2021 the Home Secretary of Mizoram has sent a letter to the Union Home Secretary seeking the intervention of the Centre to lift the economic blockade in the Barak Valley of Assam stating that Assam has no right to meddle with the property of the Central government. Not only is the blockade having adverse effect on the daily lives of the people, it has greatly hampered the supply of medical essentials required for the treatment of Covid-19. According to the ground report of Ratnadip Choudhury,a correspondent of NDTV, the movement of vehicles were banned in the border area and a truck carrying essential materials for oxygen plant to be delivered to Aizawl Civil Hospital has been left stranded on the National Highway for three days. “There is no movement and several trucks carrying essential items to Mizoram are stranded” reports the NDTV correspondent after interviewing one of the truck drivers.
Mizoram is one of the states in the North East which has shown high Covid-19 positivity rate and the state wide total lockdown is currently imposed on the state. Chief Minister Zoramthanga has also expressed his concern over the irrational action taken by Assam government when the state of Mizoram is in dire need of medical supplies to treat Covid patients.
