31 labourers held by Mizo police

SILCHAR, June 1 : Tension gripped the Asom-Mizoram border at Lailapur of Cachar as 31 labourers from this side of the border were locked up in Kolacib PS. Sources said, altogether 93 labourers went to Vairengte of Mizoram in search of work yesterday. They were eventually detained by Vairengte police as the labourers could not reportedly produce their Inner line permit or certificate from the local panchayats.

However, some of the labourers were later released as some Mizo people told the police that they had hired the labourers. Remaining 31 labourers were detained by Kolasib police. Dholai PS OC Aizur Rahman told The Sentinel today that till Saturday evening there had been no news from Kolasib about the release of the labourers.

Sources said, the new Congress government in Mizoram had made ILP mandatory even for the labourers who need to enter Vairengte in search of work.

Later, a district-level party between Cachar and Kolasib decided that these labourers would be allowed to enter into Mizoram if they could produce certificates from the local panchayat.

Dholai Panchayat GP authority has agreed to issue such certificates, but some labourers yesterday intruded into Vairengte without the certificates from the panchayat body.

On Friday night, Rahman and other police officers went to Kolasib for releasing the 31 labourers, but they were sent back by their Kolasib counter-part with the assurance that the labourers would be released on Saturday.

Rahman hoped the labourers would reach home today night. He further claimed that the situation was normal.