The border issues are rearing their ugly head in the country of late. The recent Mukroh firing that killed five Pnars, a sub-tribal group of the Khasi people in Meghalaya, and an Assam forest guard has brought the focus back on the five-decade-old boundary issue between the two northeastern states.
Assam and Meghalaya share an 885-km-long border. There are reportedly 12 points of dispute along these borders.
Meghalaya was carved out of Assam under the Assam Reorganisation Act, 1971, a law that it challenged, leading to disputes. It gained statehood in 1972.
The Murkoh village, in Jaintia Hills district, where the firing took place was situated near one of the 12 contested sites in West Jaintia Hills districts of Meghalaya, which both the states claim as their own.
On November 22, Assam police personnel reportedly intercepted a truck "smuggling timber" from Assam into Meghalaya and when the vehicle tried to speed away the police opened fire killing six persons.
It has been stated that when the Assam police intercepted the truck carrying logs and arrested three persons, the angry villagers protested. Following this, the police opened fire.
The firing took place when the two sides are engaged in the second phase of talks to resolve their border disputes.
In March 2022, Assam and Meghalaya signed an MoU after concluding the first phase of talks to end disputes in six areas of differences. On August 22, the second phase of talks was held with the two states deciding to form three regional committees to resolve issues regarding the remaining six disputed areas. Five principles, according to a report, are considered as paramount for resolving the disputes. They were historical facts, ethnicity, administrative convenience, willingness and sentiments of the people concerned and the contiguity of the land, preferably with natural boundaries such as rivers, streams, and rocks.
However, now, scepticism has crept in after the firing. Politics has took over from diplomacy jeopardising the talks.
Plight of villagers
Mukroh village is situated approximately 140 km from Meghalaya’s state capital Shillong. The village falls under Laskein block of West Jaintia Hills district with an estimated population of about 2,214 as of 2022. According to the 2011 census the population was 1,937. It has roughly about 600 households and is an agrarian society.
Now after the firing incident on November 22, villagers are apprehensive to venture to their farms as they are unsure where to draw the line as Assam claims much of the village as part of its territory. This dilemma and fear is affecting their livelihood.
“You have seen the Assam forest beat house is already within Mukroh. We never know that on one fine day, the Assam government will also set up its border police outpost in Mukroh itself, if the Meghalaya government is not steadfast with its approach,” a visibly dejected ginger trader, who identified himself as Shaphrangki, said.
Shaphrangki’s friend Shai Nartiang is equally anxious: “It will be pointless to have a police border outpost in Mukroh village. If the government wants to protect our land, river and forests, the state government must set up much beyond our farmlands so that we are safe when we venture into our farmland.”
Following the firing incident, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has announced the setting up of seven new border outposts (BoPs) in “sensitive” areas in four districts along the inter-state border with Assam which include one at Mukroh village for the safety of the people living along the border.
Although the Meghalaya government has not identified the exact location for setting up the border outpost, the Chief Executive member of Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC), Thombor Shiwait wanted that the State government should set up the police border outpost at Mutha Siang Kwai village, about 7 Km from Mukroh village and 2 Km away from the Assam police border outpost at Mokoilum village.
“Mukroh village is very much part and parcel of Meghalaya and within the jurisdiction of JHADC. We have maps and documents to prove that Mukroh is within Meghalaya and Mutha Siang Kwai village is the zero point that demarcates Meghalaya and Assam. The Assam government may claim anything, but Mukroh and its jurisdiction as per this notified map is well within Meghalaya,” Shiwat asserted.
Apart from the fear of venturing into their farmland, villagers like Shahrangki and others have another concern. Most of these villagers sell their produce at the weekly market Mokoilum and it is the only source of their livelihood. Incidentally, Mokoilum falls under Assam but is claimed by Meghalaya.
“Those who reside along the inter-state border understand the hardships. We have to survive and our paddy fields are beyond our village. There is no sign of economic development, but I am sure people want to live in peace despite the hardship,” D Bhoi, who was carrying her child behind her back, said.
With abject poverty in the area barring the North Eastern Council funded road connecting Barato in West Jaintia Hills with Assam’s Mokoilum in West Karbi Anglong district, there is no sign of basic amenities like water, electricity and health facilities.
“We have no electricity, potable water and health facilities. For drinking water we have to walk down the nearest river to fetch it. There are no hospitals, but health workers do visit our village from Boroto CHC,” M Nartiang, a young mother, said.
Not only the Mukroh villagers, but the adjacent Karbi villagers from Koma Anglong (Rongkimih village known to Pnar villagers) said that Pnar and Karbi villagers have lived together and there is no enmity.
“Since time immemorial we have been living together with the Pnars. Most of the Pnar people come here to Karbi Anglong for farming. Some of the Pnar people have their own farmlands while some are renting the Karbi farmland. Therefore, we live and work together,” Koma Anglong village chief, Chandra Sing Bey said.
Villagers on both sides of the disputed border are worried and fear that perhaps this unfortunate firing incident would prolong their woes after the firing incident, though politicians and officials from Meghalaya are thronging in hoardes and giving them all assurances.
“The people of the area need peace and the only way to a peaceful co-existence is reconciliation. The first step to reconciliation is to be truthful and accept the truth as it is and not as we wish it to be. We have to be realistic in our approach to reach an understanding which is acceptable to all,” HH Mohrmen, a political commentator in Meghalaya said.
Suggesting a “bitter pill” to solve the several decade-old border disputes between Meghalaya and Assam, he said, a pragmatic solution can be evolved in which villages with Karbi population can go to Assam and those with Pnars shifted to Meghalaya.
In this way Karbis from Koma Anglong/Rongkimih near Mukroh, Longduk Anglong/Umkhyrmi, Myngkoilum be part of Karbi Anglong district of Assam while villages like Chnong Thymme, Moolber, Psiar, Khatkasla and Mukroh where the villagers are predominantly Pnar, should be part of Laskeñ block of West Jañtia hills district.
Meanwhile, security forces are deployed on either side of the border both by Meghalaya and Assam government to prevent further escalation to the dispute. Both sides want peace and Assam Additional Superintendent of Police, Faiz Ahmed Bharbhuyan said, people on either side should live in peace and harmony.