The Assam-Meghalaya border area under Zirikindeng police station in Assam’s West Karbi Anglong district has remained tense as Assam police demolished a border outpost (BOP) set up by it in the area.
The Semson Teron faction of the Karbi Students’ Association (KSA-Semson Teron) has demanded that the BOP be re-established.
According to information, Assam police in West Karbi Anglong built a temporary structure at Umkhermi along the Assam-Meghalaya border on June 11, 2019.
On June 12, police personnel arrived there but on the same day people from Meghalaya and the Meghalaya administration asked them to leave the BOP.
The Meghalaya administration said the BOP cannot be established without proper demarcation of the border.
To take stock of the situation, the West Karbi Anglong district administration, police and CRPF personnel visited the area but on failing to take any decision they decided to demolish the temporary structure and leave the area.
The Assam police personnel left the area on June 13. It was witnessed by a crowd of villagers from the Assam side.
Demanding re-establishment of the BOP, Semson Teron of Karbi Students’ Association said the Sarbananda Sonowal-led BJP government in Assam came to power with the slogan of protecting ‘Jati-Mati-Bheti’, but “this incident is embarrassing and condemnable”.
Teron said, “If no step is taken for re-establishment of the BOP”, then the students’ organisation will take up vigorous agitation.
Security situation along Assam-Meghalaya border area in West Karbi Anglong district always remains tense.
Several incidents have taken place along the border in the past with loss of several lives in communal violence.
The state government has implemented development schemes in West Karbi Anglong and even distributed solar lamps in several villages inside Assam.
The Assam government has also built roads and bridges in the past.
Some of them have been completed and some have been stopped by the district administration and villagers of West Karbi Anglong.
“The area has remained underdeveloped and the people have been demanding more development schemes, road communication, schools, medical facilities and mobile phone connectivity which have fallen on deaf ears for long,” said sources.