Assam govt lifts travel restrictions to Meghalaya, days after border violence killed six

Assam government lifted travel restrictions to Meghalaya six days after being imposed amid violence that erupted in the disputed border area which killed 6 people

New Delhi: Days after major violence erupted in the disputed area on the Meghalaya-Assam border, the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government on Sunday, lifted travel restrictions to Meghalaya, six days after being imposed. According to a senior police officer, vehicles from Assam are now permitted to enter Meghalaya.

"Vehicles are being escorted wherever required. Police have provided patrolling in other vulnerable areas," he said.

An advisory was issued by the Assam Police, asking people to avoid travelling to the neighbouring state following the incident on Tuesday.

ANI reported on Friday that Assam Police allowed the goods-laden trucks to enter Meghalaya, for the first time after tensions rose between the two states following the firing incident along the border on Tuesday, according to an official. However, only vehicles with Meghalaya`s registration were allowed entry into the state at this time.

In the early hours of Tuesday, violence erupted at Mukroh village in West Karbi Anglong district near the disputed border between the two states after Assamese forest guards apparently stopped a truck which was allegedly carrying illegally cut timber. The clashes resulted in the deaths of six people- five tribal villagers from Meghalaya and an Assamese forest guard.

Assam and Meghalaya have a long-standing dispute in 12 areas along the 884.9-km-long inter-state border, and the location where the violence took place is one of those. The two states had signed a memorandum of understanding in March this year towards ending the dispute in six of the areas. Meghalaya was carved out of Assam in 1972 and had since then challenged the Assam Reorganisation Act, 1971, which demarcated the border between the two states.

(With agency inputs)