Shillong: Heavy machinery is rolling through the disputed Lapangap area. Residents are worried. The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) says these farming activities have stirred real fear about future land ownership. Locals think the work might be more than simple harvesting.
Thomas Passah, the KHNAM working president, pointed to reports from the Hynniewtrep Border Dispute Redressal Forum. An earlier deal allowed the Karbi community to farm a limited hill area. Passah noted, "The concern among the people of Lapangap was that large-scale cultivation, particularly if supported through government or council schemes, could eventually be used to strengthen claims over the disputed land."
The group wants the government to act now. They demand strict ground checks in every village within Blocks I and II. The Regional Committee must visit every site instead of skipping the legwork. Passah delivered a formal letter to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma demanding actual field verification. The pressure is on to get the facts right before the final border report lands.
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