Assam-Meghalaya border | Villagers chased out for choosing ‘wrong’ State

The people returned from makeshift relief camps after the issue was resolved on Friday, officials said

The 884.9 km boundary between the two States had 12 disputed sectors since Meghalaya was carved out of Assam in 1972. The CMs of the two States signed an agreement on March 29, 2022, after deciding to take up six “less complicated” sectors for settlement. File | Photo Credit: PTI

About 50 tribal people from a village on the Assam-Meghalaya border were chased out on Monday night for allegedly betraying the community by opting to stay with Assam.

Officials said the issue was resolved on Wednesday and the people returned to their native Upper Tarabari, a village in one of the six disputed sectors the Assam and Meghalaya governments resolved.

The 884.9 km boundary between the two States had 12 disputed sectors since Meghalaya was carved out of Assam in 1972. The Chief Ministers of the two States signed an agreement on March 29 in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah, a tad more than a year after deciding to take up six “less complicated” sectors for settlement.

Shared by Assam’s Kamrup district and Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills district, Upper Tarabari is dominated by the Garo people.

“There were certain issues between two groups of the same community after some people wanted to be in Assam, some in Meghalaya. Many villagers came down but they went back after the issue was resolved today [Wednesday],” Kamrup’s Deputy Commissioner Kailash Karthik N. told The Hindu.

‘Revised boundary not marked’

“The village is in one of the six disputed sectors on which a deal was signed. Some parts of the village went to Meghalaya and some parts to Assam although the revised boundary has not been demarcated yet. The clash between the two groups happened because people don’t understand the complications at the local level,” he said.

The authorities in Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills helped coordinate the return of the villagers, Mr. Karthik said.

‘₹5,000 sought as fine’

Niten Rabha, a leader of the Assam-based All Rabha Students’ Union, said the members of a local unit of the union helped the 50 or so villagers take refuge at Jarihat village under Boko police station in Kamrup district. Jarihat is about 10 km from Upper Tarabari.

Among those who had fled was Pitdon Sangma, the headman of Upper Tarabari. He said the pro-Meghalaya villagers had demanded ₹5,000 as fine from each family that had opted to stay with Assam.

“A majority of Upper Tarabari villagers who chose to stay with Meghalaya damaged the houses and shops of the Assam supporters besides driving them out. We are trying to talk to Garo student leaders to ensure such things do not happen again, particularly with the boundary dispute in the sector having been resolved,” he said.