Tensions between Assam and Meghalaya flared up again on 29th March, Tuesday in the Umlapher region of Assam’s West Karbi Anglong region. In Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi area, an Assam Police officer reportedly misbehaved with two guys, resulting in a crowd of over 300 people. Their route was stopped, resulting in a scuffle.
The Assam-Meghalaya boundary dispute is a long-standing issue ascribed to differing interpretations of the delineation of the boundaries in the 1972 agreement that created Meghalaya as a distinct state from Assam. Read on to learn more about the Assam Meghalaya Border Dispute UPSC topic.
Assam Meghalaya Border Dispute UPSC Reason
The boundary between Assam and Meghalaya is 885 kilometres long. There are currently 12 sites of contention along their boundaries.
Hahim, Langpih, Borduar, Upper Tarabari, Gazang reserve forest, Khanapara-Pilangkata, Deshdemoreah Block I, Boklapara, Nongwah, Matamur, and Block II, Khanduli, and Retacherra are all part of the boundary dispute.
The Assam Reorganisation Act, 1971, has been used to separate Meghalaya from Assam, a law it resisted, resulting in a squabble.
The region of Langpih in the West Garo Hills, which borders the Assam district of Kamrup, is a major bone of dispute between Assam and Meghalaya. During the British colonial period, Langpih was a portion of the Kamrup region, but after independence, it became a portion of the Garo Hills and Meghalaya.
Assam believes it to be a portion of Assam’s Mikir Hills. Meghalaya has raised concerns over Blocks I and II of the Mikir Hills, which are now a portion of the Karbi Anglong area of Assam. According to Meghalaya, they were once part of the United Khasi and Jaintia Hills regions.
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The Border Fracas – UPSC Notes
The conflict began immediately after Meghalaya was established. The border issue was one of the conflicts during former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s 12-year stint as chief minister.
In truth, Tarun Gogoi’s official residence, an Assam government guest house, was caught in a dispute. It was often asserted by Meghalaya as its area, as it was located on a tiny mound in the Khanapara-Pilangakata block.
The State Guest House was built in 1976 to house a VIP who was visiting Guwahati for the All India Congress Committee Convention. Meghalaya has long claimed that its claim to the territory was supported by documents.
Progress on Border Dispute
Border dispute settlement panels have been established in both states. Himanta Biswa Sarma, the CM of Assam, and Conrad Sangma, the CM of Meghalaya, have agreed to form two regional committees to address the border conflicts in stages.
Sarma has stated that there are five elements to consider when addressing the border conflict. Historical facts, ethnicity, organizational convenience, the mood and feelings of the individuals affected, and the land’s proximity are all factors to consider.
Six sites are being evaluated in the first phase. Tarabari, Hahim, Gijang, Baklapara, Khanapara-Pilingkata, and Ratacherra are the names of the tribes.
These contested territories are located in Assam’s Kamrup Metro, Cachar, and Kamrup Rural, and Meghalaya’s Ri Bhoi district, West Khasi Hills, and East Jaintia Hills.
Assam Meghalaya Border Issues
The Northeastern states were formed mostly from Assam, which shares borders with a number of other states. Assam’s border disputes with Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland are now being heard by the Supreme Court.
The border disputes between Meghalaya, Assam, and Mizoram are presently being settled through talks. The Centre stepped in when the border issue with Mizoram worsened lately.
The chief ministers of Assam and Meghalaya met independently in July and August to resolve the border dispute. Assam’s capital was Shillong, which has become the capital of Meghalaya, until being shifted to Dispur in 1972.
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Key Points
The Assam Reorganisation Act, 1971, has been used to separate Meghalaya from Assam, a law it resisted, resulting in a squabble.
The region of Langpih in the West Garo Hills, which borders the Assam district of Kamrup, is a major bone of dispute between Assam and Meghalaya.
Meghalaya has raised concerns over Blocks I and II of the Mikir Hills, which are now a portion of the Karbi Anglong area of Assam. According to Meghalaya, they were once part of the United Khasi and Jaintia Hills regions.
Conclusion
Border dispute settlement panels have been established in both states. Two regional committees have been established to settle border disputes in a gradual way, with five elements to be considered while settling the border issue. Historical facts, culture, administrative ease, the mood and feelings of the individuals affected, and the land’s proximity are all factors to consider.
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