Assam-Meghalaya Border Dispute: Waiting for Assam’s Response, Says Meghalaya Minister Paul Lyngdoh

Assam and Meghalaya signed a draft resolution, marking the first steps toward settling the 50-year-old dispute.

Meghalaya Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh who is the Chairman of the Regional Committee for West Khasi Hills set up to resolve the border dispute with Assam has said that the committee is finalizing its report on Langpih, one of the most contentious areas along the Assam-Meghalaya border.

“We have made efforts to contact our counterparts in Assam. I have also asked DC (Deputy Commissioner) Nongstoin, West Khasi Hills to speak to DC Kamrup. WE have not received any favourable response. No response to our latest attempts to wind things up. Final report only after a visit to the affected areas takes place. They had indicated the winter of 2024 (for the final visit), so we are waiting to hear from the Government of Assam,” Lyngdoh told Northeast Live.

Before the report is submitted to the Meghalaya government, Lyngdoh emphasised the need for a joint field visit with the Assam committee to assess the disputed Langpih area. Although a recent meeting on the matter took place in Shillong, Lyngdoh noted that Assam officials have yet to respond positively to finalize the arrangements for the visit.

Background on the Border Dispute
Assam and Meghalaya share an 885-kilometer-long border, with disputes at 12 points along this line. The contested areas include Upper Tarabari, Gazang Reserve Forest, Hahim, Langpih, Borduar, Boklapara, Nongwah, Matamur, Khanapara-Pilangkata, Deshdemoreah Block I and Block II, Khanduli, and Retacherra. When Meghalaya was carved out of Assam under the Assam Reorganisation Act of 1971, it challenged the law, sparking these border disagreements.

Langpih, a major point of contention, is located in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills but borders Assam’s Kamrup district. Historically, Langpih was part of Kamrup during British rule, but after Independence, it became part of Meghalaya’s Garo Hills. Assam, however, views Langpih as part of the Mikir Hills within its territory.

Efforts to Resolve the Dispute
In 1983, a joint committee was formed to address the border issues, recommending that the Survey of India re-delineate the border with input from both states. Later, an independent panel, led by Justice YV Chandrachud, was established in 1985, but Meghalaya rejected the report. In 1991, around 100 kilometers of the border were marked with the help of the Survey of India, although Meghalaya raised objections to the demarcation.

In 2011, the Meghalaya Assembly passed a resolution requesting the Centre’s intervention and the formation of a boundary commission. The Centre advised both states to appoint nodal officers for discussions. In 2019, Meghalaya approached the Supreme Court to seek the Centre’s involvement in resolving the issue, but the petition was denied.

In recent progress, on January 29 this year, Assam and Meghalaya signed a draft resolution, marking the first steps toward settling the 50-year-old dispute. This was followed by a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on March 29, signed by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma in New Delhi, in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah.

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