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Hindustan Times
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Assam-Meghalaya border tensions rise amid fresh land dispute
Tensions flared yet again along the Assam-Meghalaya border on Wednesday, after a crowd of over 400 villagers from Lapangap and nearby areas in West Jaiñtia Hills in Meghalaya, backed by student unions and pressure groups, stormed a plantation site maintained by the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) of Assam. A damaged wooden-structure in Block 1 of Assam-Meghalaya border (HT Photo) Accusing KAAC of illegally encroaching into Meghalaya territory, the protesters dismantled wooden sheds and uprooted hundreds of saplings, triggering a confrontation that escalated when Assam Police fired five rounds of tear gas. Two makeshift structures in the fields were also reportedly set on fire by Karbi locals. District SP Chemphang Syrti said, 'A crowd of around 400 entered the plantation area and uprooted the saplings. Both administrations attempted to contain and disperse the crowd. The situation is now under control.' The incident occurred in Block I, a long-contested area along the 884.9-km Assam-Meghalaya boundary. West Jaiñtia Hills deputy commissioner Abhinav Kumar Singh confirmed that the plantation was carried out by KAAC 'without any prior coordination' and despite ongoing peace efforts. 'We had advised restraint as a peace meeting was scheduled at Tahpat village in the morning. But the Assam side didn't turn up, prompting villagers to take matters into their own hands,' Singh said. 'The plantation has now been halted, and police along with three border magistrates are stationed to monitor the situation.' The protest has found strong backing from civil society and students' groups. A Khasi Students' Union (KSU) leader warned, 'This is a message. We will defend our land if the state cannot. Despite tear gas, we didn't retreat.' Neilkee Mukhim, general secretary of the Jaiñtia Students' Union (JSU), accused the Karbi side of violating a 2023 agreement to maintain the status quo. 'They resumed planting despite prior understanding. Today's action was necessary.' The protest comes just weeks after the second chief minister-level round of border talks was held in Guwahati on June 2 between Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. This meeting was long delayed—originally planned following the first round of talks on May 17, 2023, where both leaders agreed to jointly visit disputed sectors including Block I and Block II. But that momentum was shattered by the Mukroh firing on November 22, 2023, in which six people were killed—one of them a forest guard—after a truck allegedly carrying illegal timber was intercepted. The killings, which took place in another part of Block I, triggered widespread outrage and unrest, putting all dialogue on hold. The border issue between Assam and Meghalaya traces back to 1972, when Meghalaya was carved out of Assam as a separate state. The border was demarcated under the Assam Reorganisation Act, 1971—a framework Meghalaya has contested ever since. Over the years, the two states have held 32 rounds of official meetings, attempting to resolve 12 areas of difference spanning over 2,700 sq km. After decades of deadlock, a breakthrough came in March 2022, when Assam and Meghalaya signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, resolving six of the 12 disputed sectors. Under this MoU, out of 36.79 sq km of contested land, Assam retained 18.46 sq km and Meghalaya received 18.33 sq km—a near-equal division hailed as a model for cooperative federalism. However, the six unresolved areas—including Block I, Block II, Langpih, Deshdoomreah, Khanduli, and Nongwah-Mawtamur—remain flashpoints, particularly due to ethnic sensitivities, historical claims, and lack of ground-level enforcement. During the second round of talks held this month, both CMs agreed to begin erecting border pillars in the six resolved sectors by August 15, 2025. Further discussions will continue through regional committees headed by cabinet ministers of both states. Crucially, both states have also agreed to bring science to the table. The North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) has been tasked with conducting a high-resolution satellite imaging survey to map forest boundaries, natural drainage lines, and settlement patterns across the disputed zones. This neutral data will serve as a scientific basis for further demarcation, help mitigate future conflicts, and feed into broader environmental and infrastructural planning. 'Once the NESAC survey is complete within three months, we'll engage technical experts like IIT Roorkee to analyse the data and suggest actionable solutions,' CM Sangma said after the meeting. 'It's not just about border lines—this is about understanding the terrain, the people, and the ecosystem.' The talks also saw a tentative agreement to jointly commission the Kulsi multi-purpose hydroelectric and irrigation project, with both states pledging to consult local communities before implementation. Sangma described the initiative as 'a symbol of Assam-Meghalaya friendship,' with potential for boosting power generation, irrigation, and tourism in both states. But as Wednesday's unrest at Lapangap proves, ground-level sentiment often moves faster than policy promises. A fresh round of peace talks between Lapangap and Tahpat village councils is now scheduled for Thursday. Whether this results in genuine de-escalation—or simply paves the way for another confrontation—will depend on how quickly the decisions made in Guwahati translate into action on the ground. Even after 32 meetings and two chief minister-level rounds of talks, the road to peace along the Assam-Meghalaya border remains perilous. Science, diplomacy, and community participation are all now in play—but as Lapangap has reminded everyone, so is defiance.
Hindustan Times
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Tension on disputed Assam-Meghalaya border; mob ransacks structures, uproots saplings
Shillong, A mob on Wednesday uprooted saplings and dismantled wooden structures erected to protect the plants, leading to tension in a village on disputed Assam-Meghalaya border, officials said. Tension on disputed Assam-Meghalaya border; mob ransacks structures, uproots saplings The plantation drive in Lapangap village was conducted by the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council of Assam. Police personnel were deployed in the village. A hill in Lapangap, on which the incident happened, is claimed by residents of both Meghalaya's West Jaintia Hills district and Karbi Anglong district of Assam. Around 400 people of Lapangap and other villages, backed by members of several social organisations of Meghalaya, went to the plantation area, uprooted the saplings and burnt the wooden structure around 11 am, claiming that Assam was trying to encroach into their state by carrying out the plantation. West Jaintia Hills district Deputy Commissioner Abhinav Kumar Singh said adequate police forces have been deployed and the situation is now under control. "Plantation activities were carried out by the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council without prior notice to the district administrations," Singh told PTI. He said the information regarding the plantation first reached the district administration a week ago and "we have restrained our people from going to the site as the peace meeting was supposed to be held today." The scheduled peace meeting at Tahpat village did not take place as nobody turned up, the official said. Adequate police forces were deployed at the site along with three border magistrates for effective coordination with the Assam government. Singh said that the police personnel will be stationed at the site to check untoward incidents. Police and civic officers from Karbi Anglong also visited the spot along with Meghalaya's border magistrates and tension was defused, he said. The DC said that a peace meeting will be held on Thursday to find an amicable solution. He said, "Meetings have been held at the DC and SP level, and now we want the peace meeting to happen at the village level so that both headmen and their councils can sit together and come to a solution so that such conflicts can be avoided in future and status quo be maintained." In previous meetings, it was decided that the status quo should be maintained till both Assam and Meghalaya governments come to a solution. According to the DC, Lapangap village is part of Meghalaya except for a hill on which the plantation took place which villagers from either side claimed as their own. A leader of the influential Khasi Students' Union said it extended full support to Lapangap's residents alleging that Karbi Anglong people encroached into the area. "So, we dismantled all structures and uprooted the saplings. Assam Police fired tear gas shells but we will continue to defend our land," he said. KSU general secretary Neilkee Mukhim alleged that the Karbi people residing near Lapangap village had made the plantation defying an agreement made between the two sides. Assam and Meghalaya have had longstanding disputes in 12 areas along their 884.9-km-long inter-state border. In March 2022, the two states signed an agreement in New Delhi, in the presence of the Union Home Minister, to resolve issues in six areas during the first phase. Under the first-phase settlement covering 36.79 sq km of disputed land, Assam received 18.46 sq km, while Meghalaya got 18.33 sq km. The remaining six areas, where the differences are more complex, are now being addressed in the second phase. Meghalaya was carved out of Assam in 1972. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
East Khasi & West Jaintia Hills impose night curfew along India-B'desh border
1 2 Shillong: The district administrations of West Jaintia Hills and East Khasi Hills imposed a night curfew, along the India-Bangladesh border , on Thursday because of the current situation in the neighbouring country, which includes a likelihood of cross-border movement by 'unwanted elements' such as people, members of proscribed militant groups, smugglers, and other illegal activities. "Whereas, the bordering area in West Jaintia Hills district being unfenced is highly prone to infiltration by illegal migrants, members of organised crime having linkage to anti-national elements, including militant groups such that the anti-national elements, could gather in large numbers near the International Border during the night hours to continue their nefarious activities," an official order that such 'illegal, undesirable activities' should be prevented to maintain peace and tranquillity in the district, state and the country, West Jaintia Hills district magistrate Abhinav Kumar Singh announced the imposition of a curfew from 8pm to 6am extending up to 200 metres from the Zero Line (International Border).In a similar order, East Khasi Hills district magistrate RM Kurbah also said the bordering areas in the district being unfenced are highly prone to orders prohibit movement of people intending to cross the International Border with Bangladesh or sneak into the Indian territory, unauthorised processions or unlawful assembly of five or more persons, and carrying of arms or other instruments which can be used as weapons — including sticks and stones — in and around the India-Bangladesh border. The order also bans illegal, undesirable activities, smuggling of cattle or contraband goods, betel nut, betel leaves, dry fish, biri, cigarettes and tea view of the urgency of the matter, the order was passed ex-parte and came into force with immediate effect and until further orders. In her order, Kurbah specified that the night curfew would be effective in 1km radius of the International Border for two months from the other hand, the state govt has directed the deputy commissioners of Khasi and Jaintia Hills regions to immediately resolve the land issue for speeding up the completion of border fencing along the India-Bangladesh decision was taken at a meeting chaired by deputy CM in-charge home (police) Prestone Tynsong on Tuesday in presence of BSF Meghalaya inspector general and NBCC officials. Tynsong said due to the problem of land acquisition, about 33km-34km along the India-Bangladesh border in West Jaintia Hills is unfenced and around 7km-8km is unfenced in the East Khasi Hills district. "We have instructed that no person should illegally bring Bangladeshis into India until they have all necessary documents. That is the standing order and we continue to make sure it should not happen," he said.
