Assam-Meghalaya Border Row Flares Up As Lapangap Villagers Clash Using Arrows, Catapults. WATCH

The Assam-Meghalaya border row intensified as a fresh clash broke out in a border village as locals tried to assert dominance over the Lapangap village along the Jaintia Hills border.

Fresh tension flared up along the Assam-Meghalaya border on Tuesday after locals attacked each other with bows, arrows, and catapults as they claimed dominance over the Lapangap village area, reported news agency PTI.

The Assam-Meghalaya border row has been going on for years. Last month, the two states decided to find ways to look for a permanent solution to the border issues in Assam's Lampi in the Kamrup district. The area is along the border of the West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya. The decision was taken in Shillong at a meeting between Assam Minister of Forests and Environment Chandra Mohan Patowary and his Meghalaya counterpart Paul Lyngdoh.

On May 24, an important meeting took place in Guwahati, where Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad K Sangma convened to find a solution to the ongoing border row between the two states. During the meeting, the two CMs decided to conduct joint visits in the disputed region to hasten the resolution of the dispute.

Earlier, Assam and Meghalaya had been impacted by disputes in 12 border areas. However, on March 29, 2022, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was executed to address conflicts in six of these areas. Earlier this year, signed another MoU over the remaining six areas.

The origin of these conflicts can be traced back to 1972, when Meghalaya was carved out of Assam. Challenges arose from the Assam Reorganisation Act of 1971, leading to disputes across a total of 12 regions along the 884.9 km-long boundary that separates these states.

Last year on November 22, violence erupted along the disputed border between the two states in West Karbi Anglong district, after a truck apparently filled with illegally felled timber was halted by forest guards from Assam. The Assam forest department team intercepted and stopped the truck at Mukru area carrying illegal timber. The truck was going towards the West Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya. As the truck tried to flee, the forest guards fired at it and deflated a tyre. The driver, handyman and another person were then apprehended.

Soon, a clash broke out over the incident and a total six persons, including five from Meghalaya and one Assam Forest Guard were killed in the violence.