Conrad meets Himanta in Guwahati, discusses Lapangap border tension
SHILLONG, GUWAHATI, May 29: While farmers in West Jaintia Hills remain barred from their fields by Assam Police outposts, full-scale border resolution talks have been deferred until the new Assam Cabinet is sworn in, while only “short-term measures” have been offered to defuse the simmering tension in Lapangap.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati on Friday to discuss the standoff. While both governments claimed the meeting was a step toward de-escalating the situation, the resolution of the broader boundary dispute has been put on hold.
“Once all the Cabinet ministers of Assam take oath and the government is in place, the discussions will be taken further in the larger context of the inter-state border issues,” Sangma said, adding that officials would take steps in the coming days to maintain peace. However, the ground reality in Lapangap remains grim. For weeks, villagers have faced harassment and obstructions from Karbi groups, allegedly backed by Assam Police, preventing them from tilling their land or harvesting paddy. The tension recently saw residents and the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) march to the Secretariat in Shillong to demand the relocation of an Assam Police camp from Lum Pynthor and the deployment of Meghalaya security forces.
A significant point of contention remains the use of “GPS boundary lines” reflected on digital platforms like Google Maps.
Residents have formally objected to these demarcations, alleging they are being used to justify encroachments into Sixth Schedule areas while ignoring historical boundaries.
While the Assam Chief Minister described the talks as “excellent” and spoke of regional “synergies,” the meeting provided no concrete timeline for the removal of the police outposts that continue to restrict the agricultural rights of Meghalaya’s border residents.
For now, the farmers of Lapangap are left to rely on “short-term measures” and the hope that the next round of high-level talks will prioritise their survival over political optics.
The two states had signed an agreement in March 2022 in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi to end disputes in six areas. The remaining six areas, where the differences are more complex, are now being addressed in the second phase, which has largely remained stalled.
UDP backs govt efforts
The United Democratic Party (UDP) on Friday said the state government is taking active steps to address the situation in Lapangap, stressing that resolving the hardships faced by border residents remains a priority.
UDP president and Cabinet Minister Metbah Lyngdoh stated that the Home Department is managing the law-and-order situation, while efforts are underway to address broader concerns stemming from the Assam-Meghalaya border dispute. He noted that Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has already initiated discussions with his Assam counterpart to find a way forward.
“The government’s role is to ensure these issues are sorted out, as they directly impact the lives of people in border areas,” Lyngdoh said. He added that the UDP has raised the matter with the Chief Minister to ensure the safety of residents and prevent further harassment or disruption.
The remarks follow recent protests where Lapangap villagers, supported by the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) and other organisations from Jaintia Hills, marched to the Secretariat in Shillong. The protesters demanded the relocation of an Assam Police camp from Lum Pynthor and the permanent deployment of Meghalaya security personnel to protect local agricultural rights.
