Listen the Article:
Expansion
The news of violence breaking out once again on the Assam-Meghalaya border has come to the fore. A group of villagers from Meghalaya vandalized and set on fire a forest office in Assam’s West Karbi Anglong district, officials today claimed, according to news agency PTI. Meanwhile, Assam CM Himanta Sarma has reacted to the dispute on the Assam-Meghalaya border. He said that there have been clashes between local people and forest guards on the interstate border recently, but the incident is not at all related to the long-standing border dispute between the two northeastern states. Please tell that yesterday six people were killed in the clash between the police and the villagers.
What is the matter?
Armed with knives, rods and sticks, residents of Mukroh village in Meghalaya’s West Jaintia Hills district gathered in front of a beat office on the interstate border under Assam’s Kheroni forest range on Tuesday night and set the structure on fire. Officials said the mob ransacked the forest office and torched properties like furniture, documents and motorcycles parked in the premises. An official told news agency PTI that there was no report of any injury to the forest personnel deployed there so far.
Assam CM reacted
Assam CM Himanta Sarma has reacted to the dispute on the Assam-Meghalaya border. He said that the border of both the states is peaceful. There have been clashes between local people and forest guards on the interstate border recently, but the incident is not at all related to the long-standing border dispute between the two northeastern states.
He further said that ‘I am in touch with the Chief Minister of Meghalaya. The Assam-Meghalaya border is peaceful and it has always been peaceful. He said force has been used. This should not have happened.
Six people died in yesterday’s violence
Six people were killed in firing on Tuesday over the border dispute between Assam and Meghalaya. The Assam government has ordered a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the matter has been handed over to the CBI.
Will hand over the case to CBI: Sarma
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced in Delhi on Wednesday that his cabinet has decided to hand over the probe into the border violence between the two states to the CBI. The cabinet met in an unprecedented manner in the national capital. The Minister of State was here to attend a function organized in honor of the medieval Assamese hero Lachit Borphukan. Five tribal villagers in Meghalaya were shot dead on Tuesday. He asked the state police force to exercise restraint while dealing with the accused.
During the special cabinet meeting held here, the Council of Ministers decided to come out with a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for police and forest personnel to deal with situations arising out of disputes with citizens.