Mizoram home secretary Lalbiaksangi has written to her Assam counterpart, asking the latter to ensure that the Mizo community living in Assam is safe. This comes at a time when tension between the two states has been raging high, after violence broke out on the border village of Vairengte last month.

In her letter, Lalbiaksangi urged G.D. Tripathi to prevent any retaliatory action on the Mizo community living in Assam by people with "vested interests".

"I would like to request you to ensure the safety of Mizo communities living within Assam... as well as security of Mizoram House, Silchar, and the stranded highly inflammable trucks and tankers and the various Mission Compounds within Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi districts," Lalbiaksangi’s letter read.

Tension has been prevailing along the Assam-Mizoram border since last month, when several huts were damaged by miscreants. This was followed by a round of talks between the officials of the two states.

However, the situation escalated following the death of 45-year-old Intazul Laskar, a resident of Cachar district, with the Assam government claiming that he was abducted, and Mizoram officials stating that he was a drug peddler, who sustained serious injuries while trying to escape and died.

A senior police officer said Laskar, who was arrested with 420 mg of heroin, died on Monday at a hospital in Vairengte, after having sustained injuries while trying to escape from the clutches of Young Mizo Association volunteers, who had initially spotted him with the drug packets.

Inspector-general of police John Neihlaia, has said that a magisterial inquiry will be launched to probe Laskar’s death.

The liaison officer of Mizoram House at Silchar, Saizikpuii, has said that the situation is calm at the moment. However, a few Mizoram residents have fled to Jiribam in neighbouring Manipur, fearing that the simmering tension might lead to a communal clash, Saizikpuii added.