SHILLONG: The regional committees of Assam and Meghalaya will meet on August 26 before their joint visit to the contentious Langpih area along the interstate border, informed Meghalaya’s Social Welfare Minister, Paul Lyngdoh, on August 21.
“As we prepare to go to ground zero and meet the people in the area both the committees will be meeting in Shillong on August 26,” the local press quoted Lyngdoh as saying.
This move comes after a previous joint meeting in Guwahati on August 8 where the regional committees of the two states collectively agreed to embark on a visit to Langpih in Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills district. The objective of this visit is to engage with local representatives, stakeholders, and residents, a crucial step prior to finalizing any decisions concerning the interstate border.
Pressure groups and civic bodies have been demanding the involvement of all the stakeholders in the exercise. On August 17, the Federation of Khasi-Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) Rimuliang circle had asked the government to address the boundary conflicts at Langpih in a manner aligned with the desires and aspirations of the local populace.
Rusfulson Wanniang, the president of the pressure group, had stressed that the government must heed the sentiments expressed by the community members, village leaders, traditional authorities (Himas), and district councils to resolve the dispute.
The Langpih area has remained contested territory between the two states, witnessing a tragic episode in 2010 when four individuals lost their lives during the height of the interstate dispute.
In March 2022, both the states had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Delhi to tackle and settle interstate disputes in six areas of contention between them. Among these six areas are Langpih in Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills district and Mukroh in Block II of West Jaintia Hills, where a violent incident last year claimed six lives.
