By NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: The Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has described the interstate border agreement as largely symbolic and lacking real substance.
It said that excluding traditional leadership bodies and Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) has made the so-called settlement counterproductive, especially in sensitive areas such as Lapangap, where disputes remain unresolved.
Vincent H Pala, president of the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), said the interstate border dispute cannot be settled through agreements limited only to the two state governments.
He added that negotiations must meaningfully include local stakeholders such as Rangbah Shnongs, Dolois, Autonomous District Councils, and residents of the affected villages.
Tensions along the boundary have resurfaced recently. In one such development, people from Lapangap in West Jaintia Hills travelled to Shillong to lodge complaints over alleged harassment by members of the Karbi community from Assam, reflecting the continuing instability in the region.
According to Pala, excluding border residents from decisions taken by the two chief ministers may deepen conflict instead of resolving it permanently. He said a significant number of people living in these areas do not accept the present terms and accused the authorities of projecting progress while ignoring concerns on the ground.
The Congress leader also referred to the initial phase of the border agreement, making claims that certain understandings were shaped by individual land-related interests.
He further stated that addressing isolated property disputes cannot serve as a replacement for a full and lasting interstate boundary settlement, which must also consider broader issues of land ownership and identity.