Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and his deputy, Sniawbhalang Dhar, met with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati to address ongoing border conflicts. While both leaders described the meeting as a positive step toward de-escalation, they decided to delay full-scale negotiations regarding the inter-state boundary until the new Assam cabinet is officially sworn in.
The meeting offered little immediate relief for farmers in Lapangap, where local residents continue to face harassment. Villagers report being blocked from their fields and unable to harvest paddy due to the presence of Karbi groups, who are allegedly backed by Assam Police outposts. Despite calls from local residents and the Khasi Students Union to relocate these police camps, no concrete timeline for their removal was established.
A major point of frustration for border communities is the use of digital maps. Residents argue that GPS boundary lines shown on platforms like Google Maps are inaccurate and facilitate encroachment into protected Sixth Schedule areas, ignoring long-standing historical boundaries.
This current impasse complicates the second phase of a border resolution process that began in March 2022. While an initial agreement was signed in New Delhi under the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to settle disputes in six specific areas, progress on the remaining six locations remains stalled. The United Democratic Party has expressed support for the current government efforts, confirming that the Home Department is actively monitoring the situation to protect the interests of border residents.
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