Shillong, May 17, 2026 – The Meghalaya Congress has strongly criticised the much-touted Assam-Meghalaya border agreement, describing it as largely symbolic and poorly executed, while cautioning that it is fuelling fresh tensions in sensitive border villages like Lapangap.
Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) President Vincent H. Pala said the pact, signed between the two state governments, lacks substance because it bypassed meaningful consultation with local stakeholders. “Any border resolution must involve traditional institutions like Rangbah Shnongs, Dolois, Autonomous District Councils, and the affected villagers themselves,” Pala emphasised.
He alleged that the first phase of the agreement was driven more by individual land holdings than by a comprehensive and just boundary settlement. Many residents in the border areas, Pala claimed, do not accept the terms imposed from the top, warning that such decisions risk deepening conflicts rather than resolving them.
Rising Tensions in Lapangap
Lapangap village in West Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, which shares a contested boundary with Assam’s Karbi Anglong district, has emerged as a flashpoint. Villagers have reported repeated harassment by groups from the Assam side while trying to access their farmlands. They have demanded the removal of an Assam Police camp at Lum Pynthor, correction of allegedly inaccurate GPS and Google Maps boundary markings, and assured security for daily agricultural activities.
Hundreds of residents, supported by student bodies like the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), recently staged protests in Shillong, asserting they would not surrender even an inch of their ancestral land. Security forces have been deployed on the Meghalaya side amid fears of escalation. Similar incidents, including the uprooting of saplings in disputed zones last year, have kept the area on edge.
Long-Standing Dispute
The Assam-Meghalaya border row dates back to the creation of Meghalaya in 1972. In 2022, the two states reached an agreement to resolve six out of twelve disputed sectors. However, several stretches, including areas around Lapangap, remain unresolved. Local communities continue to express frustration over issues related to land ownership, identity, and access rights despite repeated government assurances.
The Congress has used the latest flare-up to question the ruling National People’s Party (NPP)-led Meghalaya government’s handling of the matter. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has responded by deploying additional security and expressing hope for renewed dialogue with Assam’s new cabinet.
Political observers note that Northeast border disputes often highlight the delicate balance required between state-level agreements and grassroots consent. Without inclusive participation of traditional governance structures, top-down pacts risk remaining on paper while tensions on the ground persist, directly affecting the livelihoods of border communities.
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