Old Issue of Meghalaya-Assam Border Dispute

The Assam-Meghalaya boundary is approximately 885 km long. There are presently 12 sectors of conflict along their borders.

The Meghalaya-Assam border dispute includes Upper Tarabari, Gazang reserve forest, Borduar, Boklapara, Nongwah, Matamur, Hahim, Langpih, Khanapara-Pilangkata, Deshdemoreah Block I and Block II, Khanduli, and Retacherra.

The Reorganisation of Assam Act of 1971, which was opposed, separated Meghalaya from Assam, resulting in hostilities.

Meghalaya-Assam Border Dispute

• The 12 sectors of dispute along respective boundaries are Upper Tarabari, Gazang reserve forest, Langpih, Borduar, Boklapara, Hahim, Nongwah, Matamur, Khanapara-Pilangkata, Deshdemoreah Block I, and Block II, Khanduli, and Retacherra.
• The Langpih district of West Garo Hills, which borders the Kamrup district of Assam, is a major point of contention between the two states and among the 12 sectors of border dispute.
• During the British colonial period, Langrish was part of the Kamrup district, but it became part of the Garo Hills and Meghalaya after independence.
• The Mikir Ranges’ Blocks 1 and 2, which are now part of Assam’s Anglong Karbi region, have created concern in Meghalaya. According to Meghalaya, they were once part of the Jaintia Hills and United Khasi districts.
• The Assam-Mizoram Inter-state Barrier is 164.6 kilometres long (Source Survey of India) and extends through the Assam districts of Cachar, Hailakandi, and Karimganj. There is no substantial conflict with the state of Mizoram on frontier matters. 

The Meghalaya-Assam Border Dispute: A 50-Year-Old-Issue

Meghalaya was founded in Assam in 1971 by the Reorganisation Act, which is controversial. Meghalaya declared independence from Assam in 1970.

• Meghalaya state became a full-fledged state in 1972, thanks to the Reorganisation Act in Meghalaya.
• Because it followed the instructions of a council that determined Meghalaya’s boundaries in 1951, the Meghalaya administration refused to recognise the Act.
• To solve the 50-year-old issue, a joint governmental committee was constituted in 1983. The team replied that India conducted a study to redesign the layer with participation from both regions, but no action was taken.
• In 1985, The analysis was rejected by Meghalaya because it was incorrect.
• 1991: Both countries jointly agreed to use India’s survey to limit the boundary. By 1991, about 100 kilometres of the edge had been marked, but Meghalaya declared the exercise unlawful and denied any involvement.
• In 2011, the Meghalaya General assembly passed a measure requesting federal funding to form a border panel. As a result, the Assam Assembly issued a resolution criticising the activity.
• The Centre requested that the Indian governments appoint nodal directors to address the regional disputes.
• 2019: The government of Meghalaya filed a case in India’s Supreme Court, demanding that the court order the government to settle the matter, but the motion was denied.

Dispute Resolution Challenges

Given the complex groups and ethnicities in the northeast, every solution that gets traction must be carefully studied.

Both states formed groups to deal with the situation, and the team was given “five principles” to follow in dealing with the issue, each chaired by a cabinet minister.

• Historical facts about a contentious industry
• Administrative convenience ethnicity
• People’s propensity to live near land, particularly with natural limits.
• Non-tribal residents in border communities are also concerned that they may live in a territory with no fundamental rights.

The Meghalaya-Assam Border Dispute Settlement’s Importance

• Assam is the leading state that gave rise to most regions.
• Border conflicts erupted between Assam, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland.
• The arrangement promotes cooperative federalism while laying out a path to resolve other service border disputes.
• In the following 6 to 7 months, the second part of the settlement process for the other areas will commence, setting the basis for negotiating other border disputes.

The Way Forward

The NLFT deal, the Bru-Reang regime, the Bodo sort out, the Karbi-Anglong deal, and the present Meghalaya-Assam Border Accord are just a few of the attempts that have been taken to bring peace to the North East area between 2019 and 2022.

Other solutions for addressing the 50-year-old border issue include satellite scanning for boundary delineation and the formation of regional committees for conflict settlement. Even members of zonal committees may help a lot when addressing such concerns at the local level.

Conclusion

Both Assam and Meghalaya have formed border dispute resolution bodies.

Two regional committees have been formed to gradually resolve border issues, with five factors to be considered when settling the matter. Ethnicity, administrative convenience, historical facts, the mood and sentiments of those impacted, and the closeness of the land are all taken into account.

In the initial phase, six sites are being considered. Tarabari, Gijang, Hahim, Baklapara, Khanapara-Pilingkata, and Ratacherra are the names of the tribes. These contested territories are in Assam’s Cachar, Kamrup Metro, Kamrup Rural, Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills, Ri Bhoi district, and East Jaintia Hills.