Aizawl: Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), Mizoram's apex student group, on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Centre and the Assam government for turning a deaf ear to its demand to compensate the losses caused by Assam police during a border stand-off at Zophai along the Assam-Mizoram border in March this year.

The MZP decided to collect public donation from locals, including non- tribal residents of Assam and all non-indigenous companies operating in the state, to compensate the losses.

"The Assam police, during a border stand-off, had not only beaten up students who were trying to construct a resting shed at Zophai but had also burnt vehicles and makeshift camps of the students and damaged properties including mobile phones belonging to the students," MZP president L. Ramdinliana Renthlei told reporters on Saturday.

He alleged that Assam police damaged property worth over Rs 21.7 lakh during the border stand-off.

Renthlei claimed that at least 68 people, including journalists, were injured when Assam police resorted to lathicharge and firing on March 8 and 10. He said both the Centre and the Assam government have been indifferent to the MZP's demand to compensate students' losses, which, he said, was a grave insult to the Mizo community.

He said the MZP is grappling with debt of lakhs of rupees as it was forced to borrow money to meet the medical expenses of the injured.

He said they appealed to the state government to compensate the losses but the government refused, saying it was financial constraints.

Renthlei said the MZP is firm on constructing a rest shed at Zophai. He warned of more aggressive steps to resolve the border dispute in case the core committee's effort turns futile.