Assam-Meghalaya border: 400 uproot Karbi saplings, DC says situation under control

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 25, 2025

Tension erupted along the Assam and Meghalaya border after a crowd of over 400 from Lapangap village and adjoining villages in West Jaintia Hills along with NGOs dismantled wooden structures and uprooting tree saplings as a mark of protest against the plantation activities carried by the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), which according to them is an attempt to illegally encroach into Meghalaya territory.

The incident took place at around 11-11.30 am on Wednesday.

According to the Deputy Commissioner of West Jaintia Hills Abhinav Kumar Singh, adequate police forces have been deployed and the situation so far has been defused.

“Actually, what has happened the plantation activities that was carried by the Karbi Autonomous Council without prior notice to the district administration and police of the Assam side,” Singh said.

The DC said the information regarding the plantation had initially reached the district administration like a week back. “Once we received the information, we tried to restrain our people for not going to the site as the peace meeting was supposed to happen,” he added.

Singh informed that a peace meeting was scheduled to be held at 9 am today at Tahpat village, which allegedly said by Assam that it belongs to them but nobody turned up from Tahpat village despite people from Lapangap village going to the site for peace negotiation.

Adequate police forces were deployed along with three border magistrates for effective coordination with Assam side. However, a group of people numbering 150 and above from Lapangap village went to the plantation site.

“The plantation has already been stopped and a bit of it has been uprooted as well. The police will be stationing there today to monitor the situation closely so that no untoward incidents get reported,” the DC said.

The DC said that both district administrations were restraining their own people to avoid unnecessary confrontation. “So far, the district magistrate from the Karbi side along with the SP is at the site and along with our border magistrates and everyone and the situation so far has defused,” he added.

If additional forces would be deployed, the DC said, “If at all it should be required, we are already in touch but as of now the situation is going towards the peaceful side so I believed within two-three hours situation will be completely under control.”

He informed that a peace meeting will be held tomorrow between both villages so that they come to an amicable solution.

Asked, the DC said, “Meetings have been held at 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 not just the plantation but to avoid any future such conflicts and that status quo be maintained.”

He stated, “In the previous meetings, it was stated that status quo be maintained till both the governments come to a solution and no activities from both sides should happen.”

On allegation of Assam police resorting to tear gas, the DC said no such thing has been reported to him.

“Whether the plantation falls under Meghalaya or Assam, it is difficult for me to say as the state government is the one who are at the stage of discussion with regards to that particular contentious area so as of now it is very difficult for me to say the same,” he said adding “Lapangap technically is part of Meghalaya, but the plantation side, there is a hill top which has been a contested one.”

The district SP informed that a crowd numbering around 400 from Lapangap and adjoining villages, went to the tree plantation sites planted by Assam in the disputed area and uprooted the saplings.

Efforts were made by both sides of the district administration to control and disperse the crowd, and now most of the crowd has dispersed.

A leader of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) said the union has extended its full support to the Lapangap dorbar shnong against the illegal encroachment by the Karbi people.

“They (Karbi people) have encroached into the jurisdiction of the Lapangap village and we have accordingly dismantled all structures and uprooted the tree saplings in the plantation. Despite Assam police had resorted to tear gas, we will not back down but we will continue to defend our land,” he said.

“We also send a clear message to the government that if it cannot resolve this issue, we will be compelled to do the needful to defend our land and our people. KSU will shy away from protecting our people,” he maintained.

JSU general secretary Neilkee Mukhim alleged that the Karbi people residing near Lapangap village had resorted to illegal planting of trees for weeks despite agreement made between the two district administrations of West Karbi Anglong and West Jaintia Hills to maintain status quo.

“In 2023, the Lapangap village has planted trees but it has stopped after agreement was made by both states. However, the Karbi people decided not to respect the agreement. This has prompted the dorbar shnong of Lapangap along with headmen from Jaintia Hills and NGOs to destroy the structures and plantation,” he said while adding that this is a strong message to the Karbi people to stop their illegal action keeping in mind that the second phase of border talks is still on for resolving the dispute.