Shillong, May 17: The Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has strongly criticised the Meghalaya-Assam interstate border agreement, describing it as largely symbolic and warning that excluding traditional institutions and local communities could deepen tensions in disputed areas such as Lapangap.
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| Villagers gather in a paddy field at Lapangap along the Meghalaya-Assam border amid heightened tensions over the interstate boundary dispute, as security personnel monitor the situation. |
MPCC president Vincent H Pala said the border dispute cannot be resolved through agreements signed solely between the governments of Meghalaya and Assam. He stressed that local stakeholders, including Rangbah Shnongs, Dolois, Autonomous District Councils (ADCs), and residents of the affected villages, must be actively involved in the negotiation and settlement process.
Pala’s remarks come amid renewed tensions along the interstate boundary. Residents of Lapangap in West Jaintia Hills recently travelled to Shillong to protest alleged harassment by members of the Karbi community from Assam, highlighting the fragile situation in the border region.
The Congress leader warned that decisions taken without consulting people directly affected by the dispute could worsen the conflict instead of bringing a lasting resolution.
“Many people residing in the border areas do not accept the terms of the agreement,” Pala claimed, accusing the government of portraying the pact as progress while overlooking the concerns and anxieties of border residents.
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He further alleged that parts of the first phase of the border settlement were influenced by “personal land interests.” According to him, addressing isolated land disputes cannot replace a comprehensive and permanent interstate boundary settlement that also considers issues of land rights, identity, and traditional governance.
The MPCC maintained that any durable solution to the long-standing Meghalaya-Assam border dispute must involve meaningful consultation with traditional heads, ADCs, and local communities living in the contested areas.
