The Ri-Bhoi Deputy Commissioner has banned visitors to the village of Umlaper in order to ensure that no new disturbances take place.
Umlaper was the scene of an assault by Assam police on three Khasi youth recently and the subsequent destruction of the police checkgate there. Yesterday members of the Hynñiewtrep Youths Council (HYC) tried to access the village but were denied by some residents.
Today’s decision to ban outsiders from entering the village was taken by the district administrations of Ri-Bhoi and West Karbi Anglong. A meeting between the two sides was held at Sabuda village.
Ri-Bhoi DC RM Kurbah said that it is regrettable that yesterday’s incident took place, which reignited tensions just after a semblance of normality was returning.
The representatives of the two districts thus felt there was no alternative but to take the tough decision to prevent all outsiders, whether from Meghalaya or Assam, from visiting the village, Kurbah said.
She added that, in order to maintain the status quo, for the time being no new developmental activities will be carried out in the village, which lies in the disputed area between the two states.
A face-off between security personnel of both Meghalaya and Assam was reported yesterday at Umlapher area.
It is learnt that members of the Hynñiewtrep Youth Council had gone to the area on Wednesday to show solidarity to the three youths who were allegedly assaulted by Assam police on Monday night.
Leaders of the HYC and elders of the Karbi community too exchanged views on the tensions that gripped the area and how to resolve it among the communities. However, later another section of the crowd including the police of both states were engaged in a scuffle after a large crowd of residents from Meghalaya allegedly tried to enter into Assam, sources said, adding, a police ranked officer of Meghalaya sustained injures while trying to control the situation.
Meanwhile, HYC Ri Bhoi and its Raid Nongtung circle today stated that they had visited the area not to create law and order problem.
District president Jason Lennox Nongrum and circle president Hercules Suting told reporters in Nongpoh that they met members of the Karbi Student Association (KSA) yesterday in Umlapher about the frequent clash in the inter-state border and to discuss on maintaining peace.
