Previous posts:
This is the third and final part of this series. It's quite difficult for me to juggle between writing about this issue (where good internet is required) and working at my farm in Neihbawih (where there is extremely poor data connection).
Hence the reason why most of my posts are late. I won't even be sharing this third part on social media, but I'm just putting it on my blog for future reference as all the damaging lies about Mizoram are still out there.
The situation between the two states has vastly improved during the past few days, with both sides meeting for talks, cancelling their FIRs against each other and withdrawing their travel advisories. The "unofficial" Assam economic blockade has been lifted as well, albeit a few incidents of vandalism at Lailapur, which has gone largely unreported by national media.
Even if both states completely mend their fences (which is what everybody in the North East wants), the next time any incident involving Mizoram happens again (which can be related to any issue), all this disinformation about Mizoram will go viral once more. That's why it is very important to put all these facts out here for anyone to read.
So without wasting any more of your time, here's the last lie about the Assam-Mizoram border dispute.
Lie #12. "Violence happened because of drugs".
Finally, here it comes. The drugs angle.
Ahh, well played, HBS, well played indeed.
It is no secret that Mizoram faces a drug problem. That part is true. However, this is a problem faced by all Northeastern states as well, not just Mizoram, due to our porous borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Every NE state is doing their best to combat this menace. Drug trafficking is one of the main sources of income for insurgent groups across the North East [source: Indian Army], so this very fact puts a big dent on the claim that Mizoram is a major player on illicit drugs, as there are no insurgent groups in Mizoram.
Assam officials even went on to claim that Assam had seized many drugs coming from Mizoram (where was such news before the incident?) and that Assam Police had caught many drug peddlers from Mizoram (who are these unknown Mizos, and again, where was such news before 26/7?).
HBS then declared a compulsory checking of ALL vehicles moving from Mizoram to Assam.
This is nothing but a gross misuse of power and exploitation of authority. What guarantee is there that Mizos will not face harassments on such searches? What if all their clothes and other belongings packed in their bags are thrown out mercilessly on the muddy road and any signs of protest met with violence?
This can also mean that Mizo students passing through Assam can no longer take their much cherished local food back to their hostels, as their pickle jars containing Mizo delicacies can be shattered into pieces under the pretext of "searching for drugs" and their smoked pork & fermented soybeans confiscated on suspicion of being beef.
I'm not saying Assam officials will definitely do those things. Assamese are good people and our relationship with them has always been good (other than the border dispute of course). But considering the timing and vindictive nature of this order, who's to say those things won't happen either?
Meanwhile, Mizoram has a different story to tell.
According to various reports from Mizoram Police, while Heroin and Ganja are indeed usually confiscated at the Myanmar border, around 80% of Meth (Methamphetamine) that had been confiscated in Mizoram so far is from Assam border. This is one of the many news in the recent past where Meth dealers from Assam were caught by Mizoram Police.
Apart from Meth, Mizoram's State Excise and Narcotics Commissioner Pu Ngurchungnunga Sailo stated that all Proxyvon Spasmo (another dangerous opioid) seized in Mizoram had all come from Assam entirely.
According to DIPR Press Release, in the past 10 years, 1.05 kg of Heroin, 3057.08 kg of Pseudoephedrine, 430385 caps of Parvon Spas, 24.114 kg of Ganja and 13053 caps of Proxyvon had been seized from Assam drug dealers in Mizoram, which resulted in 296 cases registered and 395 people from Assam arrested.
Mizoram has proof of all the arrests above. The real question is, does Pu Himanta have proof to back his claim?
And drug isn't the only problem Mizoram faces from Assam. All fake currency rackets that has been busted in Mizoram are connected to residents of Assam as well.
If HBS is going to check every vehicle entering Assam from Mizoram, I really hope he does the same with vehicles entering Mizoram from Assam too. This will keep Mizoram so much safer from drug trafficking and fake currency circulation! Thank you so much, HBS.
Similarly, if people are going to cook up a wild conspiracy theory that "drug mafias from Mizoram" are the ones stirring up trouble at the border, is it safe for us to assume that "fake currency barons from Assam" are the ones stirring up trouble at the border as well? Same logic, you know.
But we won't say all that, because we all know the only reason for the border dispute is due to the conflict in 1933 and 1875 demarcations between the 2 states. Not because of any other reasons, like drugs and all those other BS I've written about in my previous posts.
The very fact that all 12 lies I have pointed out in these three posts are no longer discussed by the media or people today proves that nobody is interested in propaganda. The truth always comes out eventually.
This border dispute may still be around for many years to come, as it has always been since Independence. But that doesn't mean we need to drag Mizoram's name down by spreading unsubstantiated claims and accusations.
Perhaps in the future, if this same issue springs up again, I hope the good people of India as well as those "unbiased" mediapersons shouting from their studios will at least stick to discussing only about the border issue and nothing else.
I'll end this post with this cute and touching artwork by my friend Cyef Parker. At the end of the day, all we want is just peace.
Disclaimer: Once again, let me iterate that I'm not affiliated with any political party, organization or media in Mizoram, and my thoughts are purely my own. I'm just a simple farmer who was ploughing my fields and clearing terraces for my next harvest, happily minding my own business when I heard about this large scale and well co-ordinated disinformation attack on Mizoram and decided to write something about it.
