SHILLONG: Renewed anxieties have gripped residents of Lapangap village along the volatile Assam-Meghalaya border, amid allegations that Karbi settlers have violated key terms of a recently brokered peace pact.
Chandame Sungoh, Chairman of the Hynniewtrep Border Dispute Redressal Forum (HBDRF), has sounded an alarm over fresh provocations that threaten to unravel months of diplomatic efforts aimed at fostering harmony between the Khasi-Pnar community and Karbi settlers.
The escalating friction follows a high-level joint resolution meeting held on June 14, 2026, which brought together top officials, including Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, Assam ministers, the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), and the CEM of the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC). The meeting was convened to defuse ethnic and territorial tensions that have plagued the area for the past three to four years, with frequent border skirmishes erupting since 2023.
While the HBDRF initially praised both state governments for their intervention—which temporarily allowed indigenous farmers to return to their fields without fear—the forum now reports a sharp deterioration in the situation. According to local sources and direct communication from the Waheh Shnong (village headman) of Lapangap, deep resentment has emerged over recent activities by the Karbi community on disputed land.
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The bilateral agreement stipulated that both communities would restrict agricultural activities to temporary, annual crops. Karbi residents were permitted to plant bananas and pineapples, provided the farming was carried out manually by villagers from Tapat. However, eyewitnesses report that this clause has been blatantly disregarded, with heavy industrial machinery such as tractors and JCB earthmovers being used to plow the land—contrary to the agreement.
This deployment of machinery has fueled fears among Forum leaders and Lapangap landowners, who suspect a hidden agenda. Many believe the mechanized land preparation could precede the introduction of state-funded development schemes by the KAAC or Assam government.
Locals argue that allowing official Assam-backed infrastructure projects on this land could give Guwahati a legal and administrative foothold, threatening Meghalaya’s historical claim to the territory. While Lapangap residents have no objection to basic farming by Tapat villagers, they remain firmly opposed to any external government projects in the disputed zone.
Despite a profound sense of betrayal, many local landowners and farmers are choosing restraint, monitoring the situation closely to avoid any outbreak of violence that could disrupt their livelihoods.
(4FrontMedia news)
