Assam-Mizoram issue demystified: It’s not about the states, it’s about the man – Himanta Biswa Sarma

Seven Assam Police personnel were martyred while fifty suffered injuries after violent clashes broke out between Assam Police and Mizoram Police on Monday. However, soon after, an elaborate online campaign was started against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma as hashtags like ‘Shame on Assam’ and ‘ResignAssamCM’ started trending on Twitter. Safe to say, the conflict of borders had now escalated against a single man.

Reportedly, the trend ‘Shame on Assam’ was primarily used by bots and that too from America. A netizen pointed out the facts by stating, “Saw the’ Shame on Assam’ hashtag trending.. so did a quick check on who is trending it. Found that most of the handles are from the USA, only 1/3rd from India. Just 2.6 million reach shows that mostly bots were used. Who is behind it?”

Similarly, the ‘ResignAssamCM’ was trended by bots, mainly operating from New Delhi but routed to different countries by changing the IP address. Voice of Assam, a Twitter page, unearthed the reality of the bots.

“More than 5000 bots were used to trend & defame Assam yesterday. These bots were mainly used from Delhi but routed their IP to different countries. Special tools were used to automatic engage with organic users & spam Twitter. Most of these bots are suspended now.”

There is no denying the fact that Sarma is the tallest leader in the North-East. Through the CAA-NRC protests and countless skirmishes by the opposition, he has stood his ground firmly. The political opponents and the insurgents across the two states fear that with Sarma at the helm of affairs, the border problem could be solved.

And if such a major roadblock, plaguing both states since a century can be resolved, the business of miscreants and insurgents will come to a screeching halt, much alike the separatists of Kashmir, who have been left running around for funds, ever since the abrogation of article 370.

Read More: The history of the Assam-Mizoram conflict: How India’s colonial past continues to haunt North-East India

The attack on the border came days after Home Minister Amit Shah visited the Northeast to meet with the Chief Ministers and Chief Secretaries of the states which are part of the North-Eastern Democratic Alliance (NEDA), and asked them to resolve the border issues. Sarma is close to the BJP top brass and he has been put at the centre of the border conflict resolution process. However, certain untoward elements couldn’t gulp down this reality and after the conflict, started targeting Sarma.

The hatred against Sarma can be gauged by the open yet hilarious letter penned by the President of the Mizo Students Union (MSU) – J. Lalmuanzuala, who threatened the Union of India with dire consequences, and said the Mizo people – including the organisation he represents will not shy away from taking up arms against India if pushed too far. He rather openly flashed the “insurgency” card, and attempted to intimidate the chief minister of Assam.

Sarma, however, didn’t take the threat lying down and quoted the particular tweet and said, “Brother, you are dialling a wrong number.” With his wit and humour, Himanta Biswa Sarma grounded a man full of himself and his inconsequential abilities to take up arms against the Indian state.

Read More: ‘You are dialling a wrong number,’ Assam CM Himanta destroys Mizo student leader who threatened secession against India

Sarma has already insinuated that the non-state actors could have played a part in orchestrating the chain of events that lead to the gunfight.

“The drugs route originates in Myanmar and travels through Mizoram and Assam’s Barak Valley all the way to Punjab,” he said, urging his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga to probe “how could civilians in battle fatigues and bulletproof vests, turn up at the border to attack our policemen with sniper rifles. I have video evidence. I think it should be investigated whether certain vested non-state actors entered the fray”.

Ever since the news of bunkers being built by suspected former Mizo insurgents just across the inter-state boundary in Barak Valley’s Karimganj district came to light, Assam has mobilised its troops on the border as well. As a precautionary step, the Assam government on Thursday issued a travel advisory asking people not to travel to Mizoram citing a “threat to personal safety”.

The situation remains tense but the insurgents and detractors of Sarma are using him to drive a wedge between the two states. The long-standing border dispute finds its root in the colonial past and to this date continues to haunt the integrity of the country in the Northeast region. However, subsequent governments failed to find any solution to the problem and instead preferred to look the other way. Sarma wanted to change it and he is being hounded.