Jowai, Oct 21: Paddy harvesting along the Lapangap-Tapat village belt along the Meghalaya-Assam border will begin on Wednesday, a day after both authorities brokered a peace agreement between the villagers.
West Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner Abhinav Kumar Singh today said the matter relating to the harvesting of paddy has been amicably and peacefully resolved and will commence on October 22.
He said in the interest of maintaining public order and ensuring a peaceful and secure environment, magistrates along with adequate police presence will be deployed in the area. “This measure is intended to provide necessary security to the local residents and to prevent any external interference or influence that could disrupt the peace and tranquility,” he added.
Singh also appreciated the exemplary patience, discipline, and restraint demonstrated by the residents of Lapangap after the violent clash. “Their cooperative spirit has been instrumental in achieving a harmonious resolution,” he said.
The DC said the district administration remains fully committed to ensuring a smooth, safe, and incident- free harvesting season in the coming days and sought cooperation of all stakeholders to uphold the prevailing peace and order.
Tensions escalated on October 9 when residents of neighbouring Tapat village in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district allegedly stopped Lapangap farmers from harvesting paddy in a disputed field located between the two villages.
Violence during the protest led to the death of one person from Tapat. A night curfew from 6 pm to 10 am, which was imposed in Lapangap village following the unrest.
A breakthrough was achieved when a coordination meeting was held yesterday at the Assam Border Outpost (BOP) in Khanduli. Both sides agreed to allow the harvesting of paddy to resume peacefully, ensuring that agricultural activities continue without further disruption.
