Shillong May 19: The Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) keeps changing its statements on the disputed Lapangap village, which is making deescalation between Meghalaya and Assam difficult.
Today Meghalaya government spokesperson Wailadmiki Shylla said that tension in Lapangap, which Meghalaya claims as part of West Jaintia Hills, is nothing new. On May 13 villagers marched on the Secretariat here to bring to the government’s attention obstruction by authorities from Assam to cultivation of their land. In October last year clashes between residents on both sides of the border led to the death of a man from Assam in a dispute over a paddy field. Three Meghalayans were subsequently arrested on suspicion of having a hand in the death.
Shylla said that when disputes arise, talks between the two states restore normalcy. “This time also the negotiations are on. Our Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police are in close contact with their counterparts,” he said.
However, one challenge is that the KAAC keeps changing its statements. “No doubt we have come to a verbal agreement, but in a matter of hours they change. So that is the challenge we are facing right now,” Shylla said.
Meanwhile, he added that the Meghalaya government is committed to resolving the disputed border. The formation of a new government in Assam is expected to lead to renewed negotiations between the two sides. Although six areas of difference were resolved several years ago, talks on the remaining six have been stalled by Assam.
