Fresh tension rises at the Assam-Meghalaya border between locals and the police from the neighbouring states at the inter-state border, leading to severe injuries and thrashing of properties.
Face-off between the police forces
Since Tuesday, the area between Assam’s West Karbi Anglong district and Meghalaya’s Bi-Rhoi district has been under tension.
On Wednesday, some people from Meghalaya alongside their local police tried to enter Assam near Umlapher area in West Karbi Anglong.
When Assam Police tried to keep off the group it led to a face-off between the police forces of the 2 states.
According to reports, on the night of August 23, 3 men from Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi district were thrashed by an Assam Police team along the state border.
In reaction to the incident, a bunch of individuals from Meghalaya allegedly damaged a police check post of Assam Police in Umlapher area in the subsequent outing of fury.
Reasons for tension at the Assam-Meghalaya border
According to West Karbi Anglong district Superintendent of Police (SP) Ajagwran Basumatary, on Wednesday, quite 100 people and police personnel from Meghalaya entered Assam, demanding a gathering over Tuesday’s incident.
“Many people from the Assam side also gathered at the spot and later things were brought in check after our police personnel and civilians had managed to send the Meghalaya Police personnel and civilians back. But a couple of hours later, a police team of Meghalaya entered nearly 15 km inside Assam and native residents intercepted the vehicles of Meghalaya Police. There was some pushing and heckling between the 2 groups and later, the Meghalaya Police was escorted back,” Ajagwran Basumatary says, stating that things are now in check.
On the Meghalaya side, the Ri-Bhoi district police claim that a politician of Meghalaya Police has been injured on Wednesday while trying to regulate things during the dispute.
CM meetings that promised to resolve the issue
On August 6, in Guwahati, both Assam and Meghalaya governments tried to bring a resolution to the inter-state border dispute. Two rounds of chief minister-level meetings regarding the Assam-Meghalaya border issues were held in Shillong and Guwahati recently.
As per the meeting’s resolution, 3 committees headed by cabinet ministers of the 2 states are going to be formed and 6 out of 12 disputed areas are identified to be addressed based on priority.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said that both states have decided to create 3 committees from both sides, headed by cabinet ministers. Thus, the committees will visit the 6 identified locations and submit reports within 30 days.
According to the agreement, the primary phase steps are going to be to resolve differences at 6 locations Tarabari, Gizang, Fahala, Baklapara, Khanapara (Pilingkata) and Ratacherra and therefore the areas that fall into Cachar, Kamrup and Kamrup Metropolitan districts of Assam and West Khasi Hills, Ri-Bhoi and East Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya.
Both the states have decided to constitute three 5-member regional committees each to start working joint programmes to resolve differences in the 6 identified areas. These committees are going to be headed by a cabinet minister of respective states and comprise bureaucrats and native representatives.
