Assam-Meghalaya border issue: Disputes over 6 of 12 areas settled, says Himanta Biswa Sarma

Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma said that the regional committees will visit the remaining six disputed areas and the next round of meetings will be held in July.

“Today, we had a very important meeting. This is the beginning to find out a solution for the six remaining areas. We have asked the regional committees to go through that. We hope to find a solution soon. We should maintain peace. In July we will meet again,” said Sangma.

During British rule, undivided Assam included present-day Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya. The state of Meghalaya was carved out of Assam in 1972. Subsequently, Meghalaya challenged the Assam Reorganisation Act of 1971, which led to disputes in 12 locations along the 884.9 km long border between the two states.

The two states have taken steps to resolve the longstanding dispute. The first round of discussions on border disputes was held in July 2021. In March 2022, Assam and Meghalaya even managed to resolve differences in six areas by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. The Assam-Meghalaya pact was seen as a harbinger of peace and harmony in the region, as Assam’s border disputes with other states in the Northeast have remained unresolved despite multiple rounds of talks.

The Assam Police claimed that they had to open fire in self-defence after a mob surrounded them. The Assam CM had then condemned the shooting, which resulted in five civilians of Meghalaya losing their lives. He had then also contended that the horrific incident would not derail the talks between the two states.

It is worth noting that attempts have been made to resolve the boundary dispute in the past as well. In 1985, an official committee was constituted under the former Chief Justice of India YV Chandrachud to tackle this issue. However, an amicable solution could not be reached.