Staff Reporter
SHILLONG:
Cabinet Minister Paul Lyngdoh on August 28 said that the state police manning the interstate border in Lapangap, West Jaintia Hills were caught unawares.
“They were caught in the middle and since they were not prepared, they had to move (from the place),” Lyngdoh told reporters.
He also said that this was an isolated incident and police had to face this situation because they did not have the correct inputs about what was actually happening.
The West Khasi Hills district Regional Committee chairman said that from the past records the border skirmishes between Assam and Meghalaya has gone down.
“Which is why when one such incident happens they get all the media attention,” Lyngdoh said.
On Saturday, a mob from Assam charged a Meghalaya police team forcing the latter to retreat.
The mob later turned unruly and started pelting stones and used catapults to chase the police team.
When asked if Meghalaya should strengthen police force in the border areas even as the border talks between the governments of Assam and Meghalaya are on, Lyngdoh said that it depends from sector to sector.
“This has happened there (West Jaintia Hills district) from what we see in West Khasi Hills things are normal,” he said.
Lyngdoh said that strengthening the police force in the border areas may bring some sense of security, but it may also prove counterproductive.
“Once police are there it also brings fear psychosis among the people,” he said.
Lyngdoh also said that the interstate border dispute has to be resolved politically.
He also said that the state would be in a position to submit the final report to the chief ministers of Assam and Meghalaya by the end of November.
Villagers demand removal of police battalion
The village dorbar of Lapangap on Monday sought the immediate intervention of the Deputy Commissioner, West Jaintia Hills B S Sohliya to remove the Assam police battalion from the village.
In a memorandum submitted to Sohliya, headman of Lapangap Deimonmi Lyngdoh said, “We request you to kindly set up a police battalion in the area to ensure security to residents of the village. We also urge you to take up with the Assam government to immediately remove its police battalion from the village.”
He informed that the Assam government had set up the police battalion at Lapangap village on August 26.
Prior to this, the headman said that Assam police and Karbi people had forcefully come to the village on July 12 and August 18 and destroyed over 5,000 tree saplings planted at U Lum Moo Pyrdet Pynthor Lapangap under Elaka Shiliang Myntang.
The saplings were sanctioned under the JICA scheme by the DC office.
“This has created fear psychosis among the residents of Lapangap especially with the setting up of the Assam police battalion, this will only encourage Karbi people to further destroy tree saplings and illegally encroach into our lands,” Lyngdoh stated.