Shillong, Aug 7: The Pedaldoba regional unit of the Garoland State Movement Committee (GSMC) has accused individual from Assam of persisting in encroaching on Garo Hills territory.
The GSMC endorsed an eviction order promulgated by the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) on July 29 that targets the removal of “illegal” settlers and unauthorised establishments operated by non-tribals within 15 days in Rongsai, under Raksamgre civil sub-division.
This was described as lawful and necessary by the GSMC as the land in question is meant to be a forest reserve.
“Despite full cognizance of this, individuals from Assam brazenly persist in encroachments, flagrantly violating legal boundaries. The disputed region between Meghalaya and Assam extends beyond Rongsai, encompassing over a hundred households unlawfully occupying Meghalaya’s territory,” the GSMC said in a statement today. “This protracted standoff dominates political discourse, stifles development efforts, and foments unrest. Encroachment along Meghalaya’s border zones remains a perennial flashpoint, heightening local tensions. For example, the Jingiram River – an essential tributary of the Brahmaputra and a historic natural boundary of Meghalaya’s Garo Hills – has gradually shifted southward over the years, facilitating incursions by settlers from Assam through cultivation and settlement.”
It group added that consultations with village elders and community leaders reaffirm that the original boundary – defined by the Rongsai Bazar bridge, Sapang Pahar, Mangnakopa, Sildubi and Jolsimina – was historically recognised as the demarcation line between the two states. However, sedimentation, natural shifts, and erosion have blurred these once-distinct borders, fomenting encroachments that imperil regional stability.
