By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, July 2: The chief ministers of Meghalaya and Assam have taken up the recent flare-up at Lapangap village for discussion, Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar said on Wednesday.
“As of now, the situation is normal; discussions are on between the two chief ministers,” Dhar said.
Asked if Lapangap was a disputed area, he replied in the negative.
Last week, tensions flared at Lapangap village along the Meghalaya-Assam interstate border after people from Assam’s Karbi community allegedly carried out tree plantations at a disputed area.
Local authorities and residents from Lapangap uprooted saplings and demolished some huts. Assam Police personnel arrived at the site and hurled tear gas shells and fired rubber bullets to disperse the villagers from Lapangap.
The Khasi Students’ Union claimed that the West Jaintia Hills administration had not acted on the complaints of Khasi villagers about plantations and construction of structures in the area by people from West Karbi Anglong.
KSU general secretary Donald Thabah said since no action was taken, the villagers and the volunteers of various organisations were compelled to uproot the saplings.
Decision on permanent outpost soon: Tynsong
The state government will soon decide about establishing a permanent police outpost in the Lapangap area under Block 1 of the West Jaintia Hills district, once the situation stabilises and improves.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Deputy Chief Minister in charge of the Home (Police) Department, Prestone Tynsong, stated that the district administration and the Superintendent of Police (SP) of West Jaintia Hills have been asked to set up a temporary police camp. Currently, more than 30 police personnel are stationed in the area around the clock.
He said that the situation in Lapangap village is largely peaceful. “The government will review the situation and consider upgrading the temporary camp into a permanent one if conditions remain calm and conducive,” he said.
Earlier in the day, members of the central body of the Jaintia Students’ Union (JSU) marched to the premises of the West Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner’s office to demand that the government deploy the SF-10 police force at Lapangap village, a disputed border area between the Karbi and Khasi-Pnar communities.
The JSU has been demanding the protection of the rights of the residents of Lapangap and other border villages. It raised this issue in a meeting with Tynsong on June 26 and Director General of Police Idashisha Nongrang, apart from seeking the posting of SF-10 personnel in the disputed area.
During Wednesday’s march, members of the union held discussions with Deputy Commissioner Abhinav Kumar Singh, who confirmed that Assam’s SF-10 units are indeed present in the disputed border area.
He pledged to ensure the security for all the villagers so they can continue their agricultural activities without fear of any untoward incidents. Singh also called upon all residents to participate in a peace committee aimed at fostering harmony between the two communities.
The union expressed satisfaction with the DC’s assurances and called off its protest, during which its members criticised the government.
In a related development, the headman of Lapangap, Deimonmi Lyngdoh, condemned a person for falsely claiming that Karbi people from Lakaroi village hit him with a slingshot.
He said the man sustained injuries to his face after falling from his bicycle.
The headman said the false claim could have led to a conflict between the Karbi and Khasi-Pnar communities. “We sent volunteers to investigate the matter, and the village no longer holds any responsibility for this individual’s actions,” he said.
Lyngdoh warned the residents of the village against spreading false information, as it can cause bad blood.
