Assam-Meghalaya Border Dispute

Assam-Meghalaya Border Dispute: Relevance

• GS 3: Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.

Assam-Meghalaya Border Dispute: Context

• Union Home Minister is expected to seal the final agreement to end the dispute in six areas of the Assam-Meghalaya boundary ahead of Meghalaya’s 50th Statehood Day celebration on January 21.

About Asaam Meghalaya dispute

• Meghalaya was carved out of Assam under the Assam Reorganisation Act, 1971.
• The Act was not accepted unanimously and people challenged its provision, thus leading to conflict.
• Since the early 1970s, both states have made contesting claims on the actual demarcation of the village.
• Assam and Meghalaya share an 885-km-long border. As of now, there are 12 points of dispute along their borders.
• The Assam-Meghalaya border dispute are the areas of Upper Tarabari, Gazang reserve forest, Hahim, Langpih, Borduar, Boklapara, Nongwah, Matamur, Khanapara-Pilangkata, Deshdemoreah Block I and Block II, Khanduli and Retacherra.
• A major point of contention between Assam and Meghalaya is the district of Langpih in West Garo Hills that borders the Kamrup district of Assam.
• Langpih was part of the Kamrup district during the British colonial period, but post-Independence, it became part of the Garo Hills and Meghalaya.
• Assam considers it to be part of the Mikir Hills in Assam. Meghalaya has questioned Blocks I and II of the Mikir Hills -now Karbi Anglong region – being part of Assam.
• According to Meghalaya, these were parts of erstwhile United Khasi and Jaintia Hills districts.

Assam Meghalaya Border: Ending the dispute

• Among the 12 dispute points, six had been selected for resolution in the first phase.
• The six areas include: Tarabari, Gijang, Hahim, Baklapara, Khanapara-Pilingkata and Ratacherra.
• Assam and Meghalaya had formed three regional committees each to inspect the disputed areas and record the views of the local residents.

Assam and border issues

• The states in the North-eastern region of India were largely carved out of Assam, which has border disputes with several states.
• Assam’s border disputes with Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland are already pending in the Supreme Court.
• Assam’s border disputes with Meghalaya and Mizoram are currently in the phase of resolution through negotiations.

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