Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K. Sangma on Friday urged calm after a 44-year-old man from Assam was killed in a clash along the disputed Assam-Meghalaya border, saying both states are working to resolve the issue through talks.
Oriwel Timung, 44, of Tapat village in Assam’s West Karbi Anglong district, was killed on Thursday during a clash with residents of Lapangap in Meghalaya’s West Jaintia Hills district over paddy harvesting. Tension gripped both villages following the incident, in which several people were injured. Night curfew was imposed to restore order.
Speaking in Imphal, Sangma said Lapangap “is a point of difference” claimed by both states, adding that discussions are under way to reach an amicable solution.
He said villagers from both sides were involved in the scuffle, while security personnel deployed by the two states had tried to contain the situation. “There was no involvement of the police in the unfortunate incident,” Sangma said.
He noted that such confrontations often occur during the harvest season but are usually resolved through the involvement of all stakeholders.
Sangma said the two states had already resolved six of the 12 points of difference along the border and expressed hope that the Lapangap issue would also be settled soon. Both governments, he added, remained committed to resolving the long-pending border dispute through dialogue.
Sources said the Inter-State Border Peace Committee had met on October 6 and decided to suspend all farming and developmental activities in the disputed area until peace was restored. However, harvesting reportedly began on Thursday, triggering the clash that led to one death and several injuries.
Tuliram Ronghang, chief executive member of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, condemned the incident in a Facebook post, alleging that Timung “lost his life when a mob from the Meghalaya side tried to enforce dominance on border land”.
He appealed to both sides to maintain peace so that the matter could be resolved amicably. He announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹10 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased and said medical expenses for the injured would be fully covered.
During his two-day visit to Manipur, Sangma met leaders and representatives of various communities displaced by the ongoing Kuki-Meitei clashes. He said it was “crucial that we come together as a community and work collaboratively to restore normalcy” in the state.