Explained: What happened along the Assam-Meghalaya border that led to the death of 6 people?

Tensions erupted between Assam and Meghalaya after six people, including an Assam forest guard, were killed in a firing incident at Mukroh village in Meghalaya’s West Jaintia Hills on Tuesday (22 November). The other five deceased were residents of Meghalaya.

The Meghalaya government has formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the incident, while the Assam dispensation has instituted an inquiry commission which will be headed by a retired judge of the Gauhati High Court, reports Shillong Times.

Meanwhile, officials claimed that a group of villagers from Meghalaya on Tuesday night vandalised and set a forest office in Assam’s West Karbi Anglong district on fire following the shooting incident. Citing officials, PTI reported that residents of Mukroh village — armed with machetes, rods and sticks — torched a beat office under the Kheroni Forest Range in Assam along the interstate border.

However, no injury to any forest personnel posted there was reported, officials told PTI.

On Tuesday night, an SUV with an Assam number plate was set aflame by unidentified people in Meghalaya’s Shillong, which police sources say can be “an aftermath of the firing incident at Mukroh village”, NDTV reported.

The Meghalaya government has also suspended mobile internet services in seven districts for 48 hours to control the row from escalating.

Why did the firing incident occur in Meghalaya? Why Opposition has hit out at the BJP over the incident? Will the firing incident affect the resolution talks between Assam and Meghalaya? We explain.

Six people killed along the Assam-Meghalaya border

The violence reportedly broke out when a truck allegedly carrying “illegal” timber was intercepted by forest guards from Assam.

As per NDTV, the truck did not stop and tried to flee but was chased by the forest officials who were able to halt the truck by puncturing one of the tires in Meghalaya’s Mukroh village.

Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma said that local villagers gathered in large numbers and surrounded the Assam Police and forest guards leading to the firing by the Assam Police, reports Shillong Times.

The Meghalaya Police have filed an FIR in connection with the incident and a delegation led by Sangma will meet Union home minister Amit Shah to apprise him of the incident on 24 November.

The Meghalaya chief minister will demand a probe by a central agency into the incident.

Condemning the incident, Sangma, whose party is an ally of the BJP, wrote on Twitter that the Assam police and forest guards “entered Meghalaya and resorted to unprovoked firing”.

As a mark of respect & mourning for the deceased, the State Govt has decided to cancel all official festivals including the Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival

Hon’ble Home Minister, @LahkmenR has reached the spot of the incident & FIR has been registered by the @MeghalayaPolice.

— Conrad Sangma (@SangmaConrad) November 22, 2022

However, Assam Police officials claim that the firing happened to “bring the situation under control” after a “mob” from Meghalaya attacked the Assam forest guards and police personnel, reports news agency PTI.

West Karbi Anglong superintendent of police, Imdad Ali, who was transferred after the incident, told the news agency that the Assam forest department team stopped the timber-laden truck in Mukroh area around 3 am.

As the vehicle tried to flee, the forest guards fired and deflated its tyre. According to Ali, they were able to nab the vehicle’s driver, handyman and another person, though others escaped.

“Police reinforcements were rushed to the spot when the forest guards contacted Zirikending police station. After the police reached the spot, a large number of people from Meghalaya armed with ‘daos‘ (daggers) and other weapons gathered at the spot around 5 am,” he told PTI.

Ali claimed that the “mob attacked” the forest personnel and the cops, demanding the immediate release of those arrested. This prompted firing from the Assam Police to control the situation, he added.

“The forest guard was killed by members of the mob with sharp weapons, who also snatched away his rifle. It was then that the Assam side had to fire to control the situation,” an official, on condition of anonymity, told PTI.

Meanwhile, the national spokesperson of Trinamool Congress (TMC), Saket Gokhale has dismissed claims that the firing took place due to the smuggling of “illegal” timber. He said on Twitter that “local tribals of Meghalaya were merely exercising their constitutional right to forest produce”, adding that the “Assam forest guards had no right to open lethal fire on them”.

This is an utter lie.

Meghalaya CM @SangmaConrad is remote controlled by BJP & Assam’s @himantabiswa.

Truth is local tribals of Meghalaya were merely exercising their constitutional right to forest produce.

Assam forest guards had NO RIGHT to open lethal fire on them. pic.twitter.com/cnMq8SIadi

— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) November 22, 2022

‘Not a border dispute’

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has denied that the incident was a “border clash” between Assam and Meghalaya. He said it was an altercation between the police in the forest and villagers.

“This has nothing to do with the border. I am in touch with the Meghalaya chief minister. We will investigate what happened,” he told News18.

Taking action after the violence, the Assam government has transferred the district SP, and suspended the officer-in-charge of Jirikinding Police station and the forest protection officer of Kheroni Forest Range, reports PTI.

The Sarma-led dispensation has also said it will transfer the investigation to a central or neutral agency and has announced an ex-gartia of Rs five lakh each for the next of kin of the six deceased.

Opposition attacks BJP

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge lashed out at BJP’s North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), saying it has “failed” the Northeast.

“Deeply saddened by the unfortunate incident at the Assam-Meghalaya border. Six precious lives were lost,” Kharge tweeted.

“BJP’s NEDA has failed North East. It is high time Union home minister resolves the border dispute between two states before things turn more hostile. Let there be peace,” he added.

Expressing anguish over the firing incident, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday, “I am gravely anguished by the tragic instance of firing at Mukroh, Meghalaya, that claimed lives of six people. I express my heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in this conflict. I earnestly pray that peace and calm prevails for the greater good”.

Slamming the Meghalaya government, Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said the incident shows the ‘ineptitude’ of the dispensation.

“I am shocked and deeply saddened by the extremely unfortunate firing incident at Mukroh, Meghalaya which took away lives of five innocent civilians and a forest guard from Assam,” the TMC leader said in a tweet.

“For how long will chief minister @SangmaConrad allow @himantabiswa to take Meghalaya for granted? For how long should Meghalayans live in fear and insecurity. For how long will this injustice go on,” Banerjee, the nephew of the West Bengal chief minister, added.

For how long will CM @SangmaConrad allow @himantabiswa to take MEGHALAYA for granted?

For how long should Meghalayans live in FEAR & INSECURITY ?

FOR HOW LONG WILL THIS INJUSTICE GO ON ?

Today’s incident exposes the ineptitude of the MDA Govt, failing its own people. (2/2)

— Abhishek Banerjee (@abhishekaitc) November 22, 2022

Past rows

In March this year, tensions arose when some “miscreants allegedly damaged the pillars” kept for boundary demarcation in Boko’s Kompaduli area near the Assam-Meghalaya border, as per Time8 report.

Last year in August, an Assam police officer allegedly misbehaved with two men from Meghalaya in Umlapher area in Assam’s West Karbi Anglong district, leading to a row.

Meghalaya residents had reportedly tried to enter Assam near Umlapher. When police officials from Karbi Anglong tried to control the crowd, it led to a conflict between security officials of both states.

There was also a controversy around former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi’s government guest house. As per India Today, the guest house located on a small hillock in Khanapara-Pilangakata block was claimed by Meghalaya as part of its territory.

Will the firing incident affect talks between Assam and Meghalaya?

Assam’s chief minister says no.

“They (peace talks) will continue. When this is not a border dispute then why should it hamper the peace talks?” Sarma was quoted as saying by News18.

The two Northeast states, which share an 885-km-long border, have been embroiled in a five-decade-long boundary dispute.

Sarma and his Meghalaya counterpart have been in talks to solve the long-standing dispute since July last year.

Meghalaya was carved out of Assam in 1972 under the Assam Reorganisation (Meghalaya) Act of 1969. The row between the two states arise out of the different interpretations of the boundaries demarcated as per the 1969 Act.

In 2011, the Meghalaya government had identified 12 areas of dispute with Assam, spread over approximately 2,700 sq km. These contested areas include Upper Tarabari, Gazang reserve forest, Hahim, Langpih, Borduar, Boklapara, Nongwah, Matamur, Khanapara-Pilangkata, Deshdemoreah Block I and Block II, Khanduli and Retacherra.

In March this year, the two state governments signed an agreement to resolve the 50-year-old border dispute.

An agreement was reached on six areas – Tarabari, Gijang, Hahim, Baklapara, Khanapara-Pilingkata, and Ratacherra.

As per the MoU signed, out of 36.79 sq km of the disputed area taken up for resolution in the first phase, Assam will control 18.51 square km and 18.28 square km would belong to Meghalaya.

A settlement on the remaining six areas including the most-contested Langpih remains to be reached.

Besides Meghalaya, Assam is also involved in border disputes with other Northeast states like Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.

Due to these interstate border disputes, Assam has recorded 20 deaths in the last 10 years, PTI reported in March citing a reply by Atul Bora, border protection and development minister, in the Assam Assembly.

With inputs from agencies

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