Interstate Issues

Assam and Meghalaya have lots of things in common. In fact, Meghalaya was created in 1972 by carving out two districts of Assam, those being the then United Khasi & Jaintia Hills district and the Garo Hills district. While relationships between the Khasi, Jaintia and Garos on one side and the Assamese on the other date back deep into history, if not prehistoric times, both Assam and Meghalaya cannot progress without depending upon one another. Two days ago, Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma met in Guwahati to discuss several common issues, among which the recent tension along the inter-state boundary also figured quite prominently. It is important to recall that both states have in recent time put in their respective best efforts to resolve boundary issues which the Centre, way back during the creation of Meghalaya, had kept unresolved. As reported, both leaders laid stress upon the importance of continued dialogue, at the same time appealing for calm while actively working toward a permanent, peaceful solution to their unresolved territorial disputes. It is also pertinent to take a look at the key actionable focus areas of the bilateral discussions, among which the border dispute resolution figures most prominently. It is encouraging to note that both chief ministers have emphasized that their respective governments prefer constructive dialogue to resolve the remaining “areas of difference” along their 884.9 km border. As reported in the media, the second phase of these sensitive boundary negotiations is actively moving forward. It may be recalled that while both states had gone up to the Supreme Court at one point in time seeking a permanent solution to the boundary issue, in recent years the young and dynamic leadership of both states has adopted a phased “give-and-take” approach to achieve a permanent solution. In 2022, the two state governments had signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to settle six of the 12 disputed sectors – dividing approximately 36.79 sq km almost equally between them. Regional committees have also been formed with officials from both sides to address the remaining six highly complex areas, focusing on historical facts, ethnicity, administrative convenience, and the willingness of the local populace. Despite these frameworks of mutual collaboration, residual tensions and skirmishes over resource access and agricultural harvesting continue to test local stability. In this backdrop, the ongoing physical border demarcation process and continuous dialogue are viewed as vital steps toward complete resolution.