NONGPOH/GUWAHATI, Aug 24: In yet another instance of skirmish along the volatile interstate border between Meghalaya and Assam, three youths hailing from Umlaper village in Ri Bhoi were allegedly assaulted by Assam Police personnel posted in the village forcing angry villagers to retaliate. The Assam cops later vacated the temporary check gate and camp.
Sources revealed that the incident occurred at around 7 pm on Monday when a group of Assam Police personnel posted at Umlaper village tried to question the three youths and allegedly assaulted them, following which, angry villagers from Umlaper, Ummat and Pdengtleit gheraoed the police camp and also vandalised the temporary Assam Police check gate.
Umlaper is claimed by both Meghalaya and Assam.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, Hamren SP, Ajagwran Basumatary confirmed that a mob from Meghalaya had gheraoed the temporary police camp around 9.30 am on Tuesday and protested against the previous day’s incident.
“The situation was defused after we tried to pacify them and the Ri Bhoi SP, who was intimated, also rushed to the spot and intervened. The temporary camp (set up in an IB accommodation) has been vacated by the police team belonging to Ulukonchi outpost under Baithalangso police station. As it is, we were planning to vacate the camp anyway,” Basumatary said.
On learning of the incident, Mawhati MDC, Charles Marngar visited the village on Tuesday morning. The Border Magistrate of Ri Bhoi, Raja Brahma, Superintendent of Police, N Lamare, Deputy Superintendent of Police, BJ Joshi, Additional Deputy Commissioner, MB Tongper and a police team from the Mawlasnai outpost reached the spot.
It was learnt that the Assam Police personnel apologised to the assaulted youths and also promised to bear their medical expenses.
‘Border battalions are a must’
UDP working president, Paul Lyngdoh has reiterated that the government should announce the creation of two battalions of border police to ensure security along the interstate border with Assam.
“The government should announce the creation of two battalions of border police force,” Lyngdoh said, reacting to frequent border skirmishes.
He said the whole of the border, which Ri-Bhoi shares with Assam, is close to Guwahati and as such, the neighbouring state has all the advantages in terms of logistics.
“I had said this recently and I keep insisting that for a state like Meghalaya with very porous interstate and international borders, the creation of two battalions of border police is the need of the hour,” he categorically stated.
Stating that the UDP resolved long back on the creation of the two battalions, Lyngdoh said, “Now this has to be pushed through. If a state like Nagaland can have 15 battalions, why is Meghalaya stuck with seven?”
He also pointed out that Meghalaya has the lowest police-civilian ratio.
