JOWAI/SHILLONG, July 1: Miscreants from Assam on Tuesday allegedly “ambushed” a man from Lapangap village in West Jaintia Hills, leaving him injured. The incident occurred when he was returning home after buying medicines from a shop in the Lumlakhiat village.
In a video, the man said the miscreants used slingshots to attack him. He said when he looked toward the direction from where the attack was carried out, he had seen around 50 individuals from the Karbi community.
He said he was bleeding but managed to escape by riding his bicycle. When he reached Lapangap, the locals, led by the village headman Deimonmi Lyngdoh, took him to the Namdong Community Health Centre for treatment.
The villagers condemned the attack. Lyngdoh urged the state government to immediately deploy police forces at Lapangap to thwart such incidents.
Last week, tensions flared at Lapangap after people from Assam’s Karbi community allegedly carried out plantations at a disputed area.
Local authorities and residents from Lapangap uprooted the saplings and demolished some huts. Later, Assam Police personnel arrived at the site and hurled tear gas shells and fired rubber bullets to disperse the villagers.
Meanwhile, the Khasi Students’ Union lamented that the West Jaintia Hills administration had not acted on the complaints of Khasi villagers about plantations and construction of structures in the area.
KSU general secretary Donald Thabah said as no action was taken, the villagers and the volunteers of various organisations were compelled to uproot the saplings.
On Tuesday’s attack on the Khasi man, he said the KSU will discuss the matter. He also said that the union wants to see the setting up of a police outpost in the area at the earliest.
Director General of Police Idashisha Nongrum stated on Sunday that a temporary police camp had been set up at the Lapangap village following the recent incident.
Security strengthened at Lapangap
The state government has strengthened police deployment at Lapangap village following the tensions. A total of 30 police personnel, led by the Superintendent of Police (SP) of West Jaintia Hills, are now stationed in the area to maintain peace and security.
“Initially, a team of 10 Meghalaya Police personnel was rushed to Lapangap. Today, we have 30 personnel — 15 from the 1st MLP Battalion and 15 from the 3rd MLP Battalion — led by the SP of West Jaintia Hills. They are stationed at a makeshift camp set up at the site,” said MDA spokesperson and Cabinet Minister Paul Lyngdoh on Tuesday.
The deployment follows appeals from civil society groups for increased police presence in the area amid growing tensions.
“That initial sense of insecurity has, to a large extent, been brought under control. We are managing the situation well, and we are hopeful that the issue will be resolved once discussions are held at the Regional Committee level,” Lyngdoh said.
Providing an update on the ground situation, he noted, “Of course, some fear still exists, but the increased police presence — from 10 personnel in the first few days to 30 now, with the SP personally overseeing operations — is a clear indication of how seriously the government is taking the matter.”
Asked whether a permanent police camp would be set up in Lapangap, he responded, “As of now, both Meghalaya and Assam have only temporary camps at the site. Once the boundary issue in this sector is resolved at the Regional Committee level, we can move forward with a more permanent solution.”
On reports of a youth being assaulted by residents from across the boundary on Tuesday, Lyngdoh said, “No, I have not received any such information.”
When asked about measures to prevent further incidents while talks are ongoing between the two state governments, he stated, “We have taken steps to minimise conflict at ground zero. To a large extent, peace has been maintained.”
He added, “By August 15, we expect to formally sign an additional MoU through which five more villages will be transferred to Meghalaya as part of the Regional Committee’s deliberations, followed by discussions at the Chief Ministers’ level. Things are moving in the right direction.”
Lyngdoh also expressed the government’s commitment to resolving the interstate boundary dispute: “We hope to resolve the boundary issue with Assam before the end of the current government’s tenure.”
Asked which villages would be transferred, he said, “I don’t remember the names immediately, but most of them are Garo-populated areas.”
