SHILLONG: Meghalaya has slammed Assam’s boundary committee for stalling the crucial spot inspection of the disputed Langpih sector.
Speaking on Sunday, chairman of the regional committee of West Khasi Hills, Paul Lyngdoh accused Assam’s committee chairman of dragging his feet, stating that their planned single-day field visit to Langpih remains in limbo due to Assam’s blatant lack of cooperation.
“We have reached out to the chairman of Assam’s boundary committee, but we are yet to receive any response,” Lyngdoh told a local daily, underscoring the need for cooperation to proceed with the planned joint visit to Langpih.
The upcoming visit aims to engage stakeholders, local representatives, and residents before finalising reports for submission to the respective chief ministers.
Langpih, located in Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills district, is one of six disputed areas under resolution in the second phase of border talks between the two states.
The Langpih sector encompasses over 200 villages, with contention centred on 54 specific villages.
While the majority of these villages prefer to remain part of Meghalaya, seven have reportedly expressed a desire to join Assam.
Previously, regional committees from both states had mutually agreed to visit Langpih to facilitate discussions with local stakeholders.
Historically, the Langpih region has been a disputed territory between Assam and Meghalaya, with tensions peaking in 2010 when clashes over territorial claims resulted in fatalities.
Earlier in March 2022, both states signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Delhi, aiming to address and settle the decades-old border dispute across six of the 12 contentious areas.
Following the signing of the MoU, the Union Home Ministry had stated that this agreement resolved 70% of the border dispute between the two states.
On September 26 of the same year, both state governments constituted three regional committees to examine and report on the present status of the remaining six areas of contention shared with Assam.
These areas in the second phase include Langpih in West Khasi Hills District, Borduar, Nongwah-Mawtamur, Deshdoomreah, Block-II in Ri Bhoi district, and Block-I, Psiar-Khanduli in West Jaintia Hills district.
