HT DIGITAL
GUWAHATI, JULY 31: A fresh flashpoint in the long-standing Assam-Meghalaya border conflict broke out on Thursday when Assam forest officials were reportedly attacked by Meghalaya residents at the Garbhanga forest region close to the inter-state border. The violent confrontation injured a number of officials, including a top forest officer, and has increased tensions at the already volatile region.
The incident occurred when staff from the Lokhora Forest Range tried to disperse an unauthorized public gathering taking place within Assam’s boundaries. The meeting was allegedly attended by the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and other Meghalaya local leaders. The meeting had not been sanctioned by the Assam administration beforehand, and this led authorities to intervene.
Related Posts:
The Assam forest department officials asserted that they were legally exercising their right to object to the event, which was being held within the Garbhanga Reserve Forest—a zone which falls well within Assam’s constitutional limit. The intervention caused a heated argument between the two parties, which soon gained momentum.
The situation worsened when the Assam forest team arrested one person from Meghalaya, Nareswar Timung, and took him to the Lokhora forest office for interrogation. In turn, a mob of people—allegedly with the support of miscreants—rushed to the office and attacked the officials present there physically.
Among those who were attacked was Lokhora Range Officer Sangeeta Singh, as well as several staff members of the Assam Forest Department. The attack has been a matter of concern for forest and administrative authorities, many of whom see it as a serious violation of law and order in a region already beset by territorial conflicts.
“The situation is extremely volatile. This is not the first time we’ve faced such aggression while performing our duties along the disputed border,” said a forest official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Garbhanga, lying on the periphery of Guwahati, is a long-disputed region in the Assam-Meghalaya border dispute. While legally part of Assam under the constitution, the area is often asserted by factions of Meghalaya’s local leadership and hence repeatedly causes clashes and tension.
So far, the official position of the Assam government on the incident remains unstated. Meanwhile, security around the region has been strengthened to avoid further aggravation of tensions.
