On November 17, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma are likely to visit Langpih in Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills district, which lies near the disputed border, according to government sources.
Less complicated area
Langpih is one of the 12 points of contention along the 884.9-kilometer boundary, however both governments have chosen to resolve six of the “less complicated” area.
The joint inspection of the two Chief Ministers, on the other hand, would not be completed till Sarma arrives from New Delhi.
Committee formed by the two government
A few months ago, the two governments organised regional committees made up of local MLAs and officials.
These committees were in charge of interacting with villages in disputed areas, recording their opinions, and submitting reports for review and discussion at a higher level.
The combined tour is part of the two chief ministers’ confidence-building exercise in an effort to resolve the two states’ boundary issues.
Both chief ministers committed to go above and beyond the status quo in order to find a long-term solution to the problem.
Few details about Langpih
Langpih is one of the most underdeveloped villages on the border of Assam’s Kamrup district and Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills district.
The battle over Langpih dates back to 1974, when members of the Nepali community were forcibly evicted from their homes and grazing area by the Meghalaya Police.
The Nepalis, who were largely involved in animal husbandry, sought justice from the Assam Police.
Assam Police were dispatched to the village to investigate the incident, which has now escalated.
In 1979, the Meghalaya government claimed once more that Assam had encroached on the village.
The topic reached Parliament in 1988, when the Assam government claimed that Meghalaya was attempting to create a new legislative constituency by annexing parts of Assam, including Langpih.
Conflicts between the Nepali, Khasi, and Garo communities erupted on May 14, 2010, worsening the situation.
Assam police opened fire on the crowd, killing four Khasis and injuring at least 18 more.
Hundreds of Khasi people went on a hunger strike in 2012. To settle the tension, officials and police were dispatched.
However, the Khasi people built a human chain to keep Assam government officials out of the area.
Twelve other land disputes exist between Assam and Meghalaya along the boundary.
While Assam says that Meghalaya has encroached on 14 Assam villages, Meghalaya claims that the Assam Chief Minister’s official home in Koinadhara, Guwahati, is built on Meghalaya land.
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