Shillong, Oct 15: Various Karbi organisations have expressed their opposition to the “give and take” policy of Assam and Meghalaya for solving inter-state boundary dispute, which includes Block 1 & II of West Karbi Anglong.
The organisations, in a joint memorandum to Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang, said the claims of Meghalaya that Block I and II historically belong to Jaintia Hills is not true.
According to the organisations, the areas historically belong to Karbi Kingdom with its capital at Socheng, 10 kms from Khanduli. The Karbi king presently resides at the temporary capital Rong Arak (Ronghang Rongbong), 12 kms from Hamren District, who still heads the traditional justice system and oversees the cultural life of the Karbi society.
“Even today the Karbi people consistently maintain their traditional sense of absolute allegiance to their King,” the organisations said.
They said that when Karbi Anglong came into existence on November 17, 1951, the inhabited areas of the Karbis in Sibsagarh and Nowgong districts of the erstwhile Mikirs Hills (partially excluded areas and the Mikirs dominated areas of Jowai sub-division known as Block I & II) were included within the Karbi Anglong District.
Referring to a notification of the Government of Assam dated October 3, 1950 which was approved by Danlatran Jayramdas, the then Governor of Assam on April 13, 1951 the organisations said Meghalaya should honour the notification.
The organisations stated that the border pillars were forcefully destroyed by unknown miscreants from Meghalaya on July 27, 2025, which has created animosity between communities residing in the border areas.
They sought re-erection of inter-state border pillars as per the land demarcated during the formation of Karbi Anglong District in 1951.
Expressing concern over the recent clash at Tapat and the ongoing concerns impacting indigenous Karbi communities the organisations sought the intervention of the KAAC to take proactive and sustained measures to ensure the safety, dignity, and rights of the border residents, while also reinforcing the territorial integrity and governance of the region under its jurisdiction.
The organisations also urged the council to instruct the district administration to prohibit inter-state movement stating that the border area is tense following the death of a Karbi villager, Oriwell Timung during the clash at Tapat.
Furthermore, the organisations want establishment of a Para-Military Forces Centre along the Assam-Meghalaya border to prevent future clashes and to give priority to all round development in the region.
The organisations are the Karbi Students’ Association (Central Executive Committee) (KSA-CEC), Joint Action Committee for Autonomous State (JACAS), Karbi Farmer Association (KFA), Karbi Youth Association (KYA), Karbi Unemployed Youth Association (KUYA), Karbi Students’ & Youth Council (KSYC), Karbi Anglong Women Justice Forum (KAWJF), and Karbi Anglong Indigenous Youth Association (KAIYA).
