STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Tension resurfaced along the Assam–Meghalaya border near Pillingkata in Basistha after a signboard in the area was found completely defaced with black paint, sparking allegations from both sides. Residents in Meghalaya accused people from Assam of vandalizing the board, while a local Assamese woman claimed that individuals from the Meghalaya side had triggered the confrontation by shouting at and pushing an Assamese woman while blaming locals for wiping the signboard.
According to reports from the area, a group of women from Meghalaya reportedly crossed into the disputed zone and physically assaulted an Assamese woman living nearby. The disagreement escalated quickly, drawing large crowds from both states as tempers rose.
The situation intensified further between 10 am and 11 am on Monday, when groups from both sides gathered at Pilingkata amid rising friction over the defaced signboard, which was believed to have been installed by Meghalaya authorities. A brief scuffle followed, leaving a few individuals with minor injuries.
Security personnel from both Assam and Meghalaya reached the spot within minutes and worked together to bring the situation under control. Officers from Basistha Police Station said the dispute had been settled for the time being, and both forces maintained a strong presence in the locality to prevent additional flare-ups.
The incident underscored the ongoing sensitivity along parts of the Assam–Meghalaya boundary, where long-standing territorial disagreements have repeatedly fuelled sporadic tensions.
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