Assam–Meghalaya Border Clash Highlights Longstanding Boundary Dispute

Assam–Meghalaya Border Dispute Latest News

• A 44-year-old man from Tapat village in Assam’s West Karbi Anglong, was killed during a clash between residents of Assam’s Tapat and Meghalaya’s Lapangap village in West Jaintia Hills, along a disputed stretch of the Assam-Meghalaya border.
• Police said the violence erupted when villagers from Lapangap were harvesting paddy in the contested area, a practice followed “for generations.”
• The site of the incident is among six unresolved areas along the 884-km Assam-Meghalaya border, where tensions persist despite a 2022 MoU settling disputes in six other zones. 
• The same region witnessed the Mukroh firing incident in 2022, which killed six people.

Assam–Meghalaya Border Dispute: Historical Roots and Key Issues

• The Assam–Meghalaya border dispute dates back to the colonial era, when undivided Assam included present-day Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Mizoram.
• When Meghalaya was carved out of Assam as an autonomous state in 1970 and later became a full-fledged state in 1972, boundary differences arose. 
• The separation was formalised under the Assam Reorganisation (Meghalaya) Act of 1969, which Meghalaya refused to accept.

Reasons Behind Meghalaya’s Refusal to Accept the 1969 Act

• The 1969 Act was based on the recommendations of a 1951 committee that sought to define the boundary between the two states.
• According to these recommendations, parts of East Jaintia Hills, Ri-Bhoi, and West Khasi Hills (in present-day Meghalaya) were transferred to Assam’s Karbi Anglong and Kamrup districts.
• After achieving statehood, Meghalaya contested these transfers, arguing that the areas historically belonged to indigenous tribal chieftains under its traditional governance system.

Assam’s Position

• The Assam government has maintained that Meghalaya lacks documentary and archival evidence to substantiate its territorial claims.
• Assam insists that the boundary defined in 1969 is legally valid and that Meghalaya’s claims are not supported by historical or administrative records.

Extent of the Dispute

• Following years of claims and counterclaims, the boundary conflict was narrowed down to 12 disputed sectors in 2011, covering parts of West Khasi Hills, Ri-Bhoi, and Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya and adjoining districts of Assam.
• These areas remain points of contention, occasionally triggering tensions and clashes between communities living along the border.

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Efforts to Resolve the Assam–Meghalaya Border Dispute

• Joint Official Committee (1983) – A joint official committee was established in 1983 to address the boundary dispute. It recommended that the Survey of India should re-delineate the border in consultation with both state governments.
• Independent Panel (1985) – An independent commission, headed by Justice Y.V. Chandrachud, was formed in 1985 to examine the issue. However, Meghalaya rejected the panel’s report, citing disagreement with its findings.
• Survey of India’s Role and Partial Demarcation (1991) – In 1991, around 100 km of the inter-state border was demarcated with the help of the Survey of India. Despite this technical effort, Meghalaya refused to accept the demarcation, keeping the dispute unresolved.

Central Intervention (2011)

• In 2011, the Meghalaya Assembly passed a resolution seeking the Centre’s intervention and demanded the creation of a boundary commission.
• The Union Government directed both states to appoint nodal officers to facilitate discussions and collect relevant records for negotiation.

Renewed Political Will (2021–2022)

• In June 2021, Assam and Meghalaya adopted a give-and-take approach to advance talks and formed three regional committees each, headed by cabinet ministers, to examine ground realities and gather local inputs.
• Based on the committees’ recommendations, a draft resolution was prepared in January 2022.
• Subsequently, in March 2022, both states signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to resolve disputes in six of the 12 contested sectors, covering around 36.7 sq km.

2022 Border Pact

• In March 2022, Assam and Meghalaya partially resolved their 50-year-old border dispute, settling differences in six of the 12 disputed sectors along their 884-km boundary. 
• The pact marked a major milestone in inter-state cooperation in the Northeast.

Key Features of the Agreement

• The agreement covers 36.79 sq. km of disputed land.
• Assam will retain 18.51 sq. km, while Meghalaya will receive 18.28 sq. km.
• Following the pact, around 70% of the boundary between the two states is now dispute-free.
• Negotiations will continue over the remaining six areas, including Langpih, Borduar, and Block I & II regions, which are more sensitive and complex.

Source: IE | HT | GoA