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A tragic clash erupted Thursday morning along the Assam–Meghalaya border, resulting in one person killed and another injured during a dispute over farmland access. Villagers from both states had long claimed rights over the disputed patch of land, and tensions boiled over when farmers from Meghalaya entered to harvest their paddy.
According to reports, the incident began around 9:30 am, when residents from Lapangap village in Meghalaya arrived to collect their crops. Villagers from Tapat in Assam’s West Karbi Anglong objected, arguing the land belonged to them. A heated argument escalated quickly into violence.
In the melee that followed, Orivel Timung (from Assam) was fatally wounded, while Stenwel Timung sustained serious injuries. Amid the chaos, tear gas shells were deployed by police to try and regain control. Afterwards, authorities imposed a temporary stop on all harvesting activity in the area until further orders and registered an FIR under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The region has a long history of boundary disputes, with multiple stretches along the 884 km Assam-Meghalaya border still contested. While some areas have been settled via dialogue and joint inspections, others including this location remain highly sensitive.
Assam and Meghalaya had recently agreed, in a border peace committee meeting held October 6, to suspend agricultural and developmental activities in certain zones until stability was restored. Many locals expressed frustration that, despite this agreement, harvesting had proceeded today sparking the clash.
As investigations unfold, both state governments will likely face scrutiny over their ability to secure peace and uphold the rule of law in these volatile border zones.
