SHILLONG, May 13: With fresh tensions erupting in the fields of Lapangap, the Meghalaya government is banking on the newly-formed Assam cabinet to break a years-long deadlock over the disputed inter-state boundary.
Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbahalang Dhar said on Wednesday that Chief Minister Conrad Sangma will immediately take up the matter with the Assam government to resume stalled negotiations.
The move follows a meeting between Dhar and villagers from Lapangap, who reported that Karbi villagers have been disrupting farming activities during the current sowing season. The villagers sought government intervention to ensure they could cultivate their land without harassment.
Dhar assured the delegation that full security would be provided to the area starting Thursday. He also stated that the Deputy Commissioners of the concerned districts would engage in talks to de-escalate the situation.
“We have assured that we will protect our people and that peace must be maintained,” Dhar said.
Formal talks regarding the six remaining areas of difference have been stalled for years, even as skirmishes continue to break out along the border. Dhar noted that the resumption of the Phase II dialogue now depends on the new Assam cabinet reconstituting its regional committees to review the disputed sectors.
