Uneasy calm: All is not well at the Assam-Meghalaya border in Lapangap

In the Northeast, international borders are not the only borders that regularly make headlines for the wrong reasons. In 2021, security personnel from Assam and Mizoram turned a border into a conflict region, leaving six Assam Police dead. 

Then, there was the incident in Mukroh village in Meghalaya in November 2022, which left six people dead allegedly at the hands of Assam Forest officials. 

Clashes between residents of Assam and Nagaland are not uncommon, and even as Assam and Meghalaya governments have claimed success in the first round of border talks, the second round remains far from completion. 

But Lapangap, a village with just 338 households in West Jaintia Hills located close to the Assam border, is not an area of dispute. Which is why the village made headlines when, in the first week of October, curfew was imposed in the village. 

Just as the residents were getting to reap their harvest, the peace in the village was shattered by a sudden, devastating clash that changed everything.

The day started calmly on October 9. Farmers were in the paddy fields, their harvest underway, with everything proceeding smoothly for several hours. 

The peace, however, was fleeting. A commotion soon broke out between the Khasi-Pnars of Lapangap and the Karbis of Tahpat village in Karbi Anglong. 

This initial disturbance quickly transitioned into violence, tragically resulting in one fatality and numerous injuries. The deceased was identified as Orivel Timung, 45, from Tahpat village, located across the border on the Assam side. 

The immediate aftermath involved a succession of disturbances and critical negotiations. The constant backdrop to these events was the anxious wait by the residents, anticipating the moment they could safely reap their harvest before the season inevitably passed.

Following extensive talks and negotiations between officials of the two states, the farmers were finally granted permission to harvest their crops. 

This crucial access, however, came with a strict condition: it had to be carried out under continuous monitoring and heavy security coverage.

Peace For Now, But What is Next?

Fast forward to today, and the harvest, albeit delayed, has been completed and the villagers have initiated the post-harvest work of creating paddy field dams. However, the process is facing expected difficulties.

According to Deimonmi Lyngdoh, the Waheh Chnong (a Khasi term for the traditional headmen or elders of a village, particularly in the Jaintia Hills region) of Lapangap, their farmers “were not allowed to carry out the post-harvest process in most fields that are close to Tahpat village.” He noted that the community is “still awaiting directions from the authorities to proceed forward.”

Lyngdoh conceded that, compared to past years, the harvest was less fruitful because of the delay, even as he expressed gratitude that they could still manage to reap their crops. But the underlying tension has not dissipated. 

The Karbi residents of Tahpat are demanding justice for Orivel Timung, the 45-year-old man who lost his life in the October 9 violence.

In a significant development, it was reported that immediately after the harvest concluded, an FIR was filed. The complaint targets Deimonmi Lyngdoh (Waheh Chnong of Lapangap) and Samkhih Situng (Assistant Waheh Chnong), directly connecting the village leadership to Timung’s death.

“We were informed about this but we are yet to get a copy of the FIR and no summon notice has come to us,” the Lapangap Waheh Chnong said.

The Superintendent of West Jaintia Hills, Jagpal Singh Dhanoa, confirmed the development regarding the legal action, stating, “Yes, an FIR was filed but we do not have the details of the same.”

He emphasised the necessity of legal procedures due to the fatality, noting that the district police themselves had filed an FIR (against unknown persons) on the very day the violence broke out – October 9.

Addressing security concerns, the police chief informed that a permanent police camp has been established at Lapangap to continuously patrol and monitor the situation.

In response to the difficulties farmers faced with post-harvest work, Dhanoa assured, “We are constantly in touch with Assam police and the district administration and they are cooperating.”

Similarly, West Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner Abhinav Kumar Singh affirmed that the situation remains normal, with a border magistrate actively keeping a close watch.

Concerning the decreased harvest outcome, the DC admitted that the slight delay in reaping the crops in October has had an adverse impact, though they are yet to fully assess the final figures. He stressed that, at the time, diffusing the tension was the priority, and the harvest was only allowed after both sides reached an understanding. “It’s understandable that compared to previous years, the harvest outcome has decreased, but it can’t be ascertained by how much,” he added.

When a Conflict United the Locals

Community strength remains a cornerstone across the Northeast and it is no different in Jaintia Hills. When we visited the region, we witnessed that even though the residual tension was palpable, there was also some unexpected beauty—a quiet, resilient sense of unity.

The difficulties faced by Lapangap were met not with retreat, but with a massive, unprecedented outpouring of cross-village support. Villagers came from numerous distant settlements—including Namdong, Mawbakhon, Ummulong, and Tluh—not because they owned land in Lapangap, but “just to help.” 

This was universally acknowledged by villagers as the “first time” so many villages had come together for collective support. This spontaneous, humanitarian effort to secure the harvest is the “beauty amidst the tension.”

A villager from Namdong village near Lapangap articulated the emotional relief: “We came here since we heard that there was a restriction on harvesting paddy. We felt sad because after planting, they were not allowed to bring home their harvest.”

Amidst the tension, laughter still filled the air as farmers and supporters from across Jaintia Hills cracked jokes, shared stories, and passed around kwai (betel nut) while continuing to reap the harvest. They worked through unpredictable weather — days of sudden rain followed by stretches of sweltering heat — yet their spirit remained unshaken.

Yet, the truth is that the conflict has transformed daily life in Lapangap into an ordeal of anxiety and economic loss, demonstrating a clear disregard for human wellbeing.

Waheh Chnong Demonmi Lyngdoh described how the problem escalated when Karbi people from Assam illegally entered the Shilliang Myntang Elaka (traditional jurisdiction) to plant trees in their paddy fields in 2018-19. 

He sadly noted the devastating economic impact: where a family once harvested 50 baskets of paddy, they now get only 20–25. Some farmers couldn’t even plant their crops.

Monbha Pyrpet (Former Secretary of Lapangap) echoed this hardship, stating yields have dropped from 50–60 baskets to only 20–30, harming both farmers and the daily wage laborers who depend on agriculture. This unrest directly threatens their secondary income, which comes from weaving and selling bamboo winnowing trays (mulla).

Another villager from Iangkaloh provided a stark personal comparison: yields have halved from 20 baskets to 10 baskets since the unrest started, with thousands of kilos of paddy production lost annually.

Roots of Conflict: Historical Claims vs. Present Reality

The narrative from the Lapangap side clearly traces the genesis of the conflict not to recent aggression, but to historical administrative ambiguity and changing demographics.

Chandame Sungoh (Chairman, Hynniewtrep Border Disputed Redressal Forum) provided a historical timeline, noting that the Karbi settlers initially came as labourers and cultivators and were later given a separate area, Madan Tapad (present day Tahpat), by the Lapangap elders as their population grew.

He attributes the current confusion to the lack of clear understanding about District Council demarcation that began around 1951–1952. Sungoh firmly holds up a 1967 Karbi Anglong District map, claiming it reflects the 1951 boundary records, suggesting this historical demarcation is the source of the present clashes.

Teiborlang R. Suchen (Former Jaintia Students’ Union Leader) clarified a crucial distinction: Lapangap itself, along with Khanduli, is firmly within the West Jaintia Hills District of Meghalaya and not part of the larger, more complex Block I area.

 He stated that the current chaos stems from “provocation from the Karbi Anglong Autonomous District Council through their tree-planting activities,” which have interfered with Pnar (Jaintia) people seeking to preserve their cultural identity and local governance.

Dawan Lyngdoh (Former Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council MDC) buttressed this claim, asserting that Lapangap falls clearly under the jurisdiction of the JHADC.
“During our 2019 term, the Executive Committee took up this issue and confirmed that Lapangap falls under the jurisdiction of the JHADC. We have all the necessary documents to substantiate this,” he said.

The community’s political demand is unified: they want both governments to use proper records and historical facts to achieve a permanent settlement that protects the rights and land claims of the indigenous communities.

Augustan T. Lamin, a local Khasi Students Union Leader, was of the view that since the regional committee was formed to settle border issues between Meghalaya and Assam, problems have only worsened. “Lapangap is not part of Block 1 or Block 2 and has never been a disputed area. The Karbi Council people have no authority here,” he said.

‘The Chief Ministers must talk soon’

Both officials and community leaders agree that security and swift resolution are paramount. Waheh Chnong Demonmi Lyngdoh and Former JHADC MDC Dawan Lyngdoh pleaded for a permanent boundary settlement so villagers know clearly which state they belong to.

Lamin raised concerns about the involvement of outsiders and political elements, urging that the issue be solved fairly and not be swayed by any political party.

“We won’t side with any political party — whether NPP or VPP — we just want the issue to be solved fairly without harassment,” he said.

Ultimately, the crisis in Lapangap is a microcosm of the larger border dispute: a clash between historical claims and the daily lives of citizens.

The community’s overwhelming call is for both Chief Ministers, Conrad Sangma and Himanta Biswa Sarma, to ensure their dialogue is grounded in historical data, not emotion, and that the wellbeing and safety of the people on the ground become the primary measure of their success.

Ibankyntiew Mawrie is the Editor-in-chief at 4frontmedia.in.

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