One person was killed and another injured on Thursday after violent clashes erupted between villagers from Assam and Meghalaya along the interstate border. The violence reportedly broke out when villagers from Meghalaya attempted to harvest paddy on land claimed by both states.
According to reports, a group of villagers from Lapangap village in Meghalaya’s West Jaintia Hills district arrived at the disputed site around 9:30 a.m. to begin harvesting. However, residents from Tahpat village in Assam’s West Karbi Anglong district objected to their presence, citing ongoing disagreements over land ownership.
What began as an argument soon escalated into violent clashes. In videos circulating on social media, police officers can be seen firing tear gas shells to disperse the crowd and restore order.
Authorities confirmed that one person, identified as Orivel Timung, was killed in the confrontation, while another, Stenwel Timung, sustained injuries. Both victims were residents of West Karbi Anglong district in Assam.
The area remains tense following the incident, and additional security personnel have been deployed to prevent further violence. Locals said this is not the first time such clashes have occurred in the region.
Following the violence, Meghalaya authorities ordered an immediate suspension of all agricultural activities in the affected area until further notice. The Meghalaya Police also registered a First Information Report (FIR) under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and have begun investigations.
Residents of the Karbi community claimed that during a border peace committee meeting held on October 6, both Assam and Meghalaya had agreed to suspend farming and development work in the disputed zones until peace was fully restored. They alleged that the decision was violated when Meghalaya villagers went ahead with paddy harvesting, leading to the confrontation.
Assam and Meghalaya have been locked in a border dispute for decades, with tensions occasionally flaring into violence. Of the 12 disputed areas, both states have resolved issues in six “less sensitive” zones through dialogues, joint inspections, and consultations with border residents.
However, resolving disputes in the remaining six “highly sensitive” areas continues to pose a major challenge for both governments. Talks for the second phase of border dialogue are yet to begin.
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