By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 21: Senior NPP leader and cabinet minister Timothy D Shira on Thursday said the long history of peaceful coexistence and shared cultivation practices between communities living along the Assam-Meghalaya border should serve as the foundation for resolving present-day disputes, even as tensions continue over the Lapangap sector in West Jaintia Hills.
Referring to the recurring friction in the border village, Shira observed that residents from both Meghalaya and Assam have, for generations, cultivated land across the border regions and maintained social and economic ties without major confrontation.
He suggested that traditional arrangements based on mutual understanding and cooperation could continue to help maintain harmony in disputed areas until a permanent settlement is reached.
“People from both sides have been living and cultivating in these areas since time immemorial,” the minister said, while noting that many border communities remain closely linked through farming activities and day-to-day interactions despite the interstate dispute.
Though clarifying that he is not directly involved with the regional committee handling the Assam-Meghalaya boundary talks, Shira said many of the current disagreements are rooted in historical land-use patterns where communities moved freely and cultivated land irrespective of administrative boundaries. He stressed that peaceful relations between border residents remain crucial and maintained that lasting solutions can only emerge through cooperation, dialogue and understanding among the people directly affected.
According to him, it would not be appropriate to immediately blame one side or the other without appreciating the complexities and historical realities of the border issue.
It may be mentioned that Shira’s remarks come in the backdrop of renewed tension in the disputed Lapangap area earlier this week after an incident involving stone-pelting and a minor confrontation between groups from both Meghalaya and Assam. One person had reportedly sustained minor injuries in the incident.
The confrontation took place shortly after a meeting between representatives from both sides ended peacefully but without a breakthrough on the issue of farming and plantation activities in the disputed area.
Meanwhile, West Jaintia Hills Superintendent of Police Jagpal Singh Dhanoa said additional security personnel have been deployed in the area to maintain law and order and ensure the safety of residents.
He informed that the meeting was attended by deputy commissioners and superintendents of police from both Meghalaya and Assam, but discussions remained inconclusive as differences persisted over cultivation rights and plantation activities.
Dhanoa, however, praised the approach taken by Meghalaya villagers during the discussions, stating that they displayed “utmost sagacity” by proposing joint seasonal cultivation of the hillocks and highland areas by people from both states until the boundary issue is formally resolved.
According to the police official, the Assam side instead pushed for plantation activities in the area, a proposal that Meghalaya representatives opposed on the grounds that plantations are semi-permanent in nature and could complicate the final settlement process before the boundary commission.
Dhanoa said senior officials of the Meghalaya government remain in touch with the Assam side and that further decisions regarding the resumption of farming activities would be taken after the situation stabilises.
The Lapangap issue has remained a longstanding concern for villagers in West Jaintia Hills, who have repeatedly alleged obstruction to cultivation and harvesting activities in the disputed region.
Despite periodic tensions, officials from both states continue to engage through dialogue, with authorities expressing hope that cooperative mechanisms and sustained communication will help preserve peace in the sensitive border area.
