NHRC takes cognisance of Assam-Meghalaya border violence

It said the incident was an outcome of the long-pending border dispute between the two states and could have been averted had the controversy been settled earlier

Taking cognisance of a complaint by Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma about the firing at Mukroh village along Assam-Meghalaya border on November 22, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday asked the Centre and Assam government to suggest measures within two weeks to prevent similar incident in the future.

The commission's directive came days after Sangma met NHRC chairperson Arun Kumar Mishra and other members in New Delhi to apprise them about the firing incident. Sangma told the NHRC that the firing at Mukroh village in West Jaintia Hills district, in which five Meghalaya villagers and a home guard from Assam were killed due to firing by Assam police and forest guards was a clear violation of human rights.

"The Commission has observed that it seems this incident has taken place due to the border dispute between the two states, which is a larger issue, pending for a long time. Prima-facie, it appears that, had this dispute been settled, such type of incident would have been averted. Whatever may be the dispute between the states, police have to use restraint in such situations. Therefore, it would want to examine the SOP in operation, if any, about firing by Armed Forces/Police in areas of a border dispute between neighbouring states," the NHRC said in a statement.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma had said the police fired after the locals tried to attack them following interception of a vehicle illegally transporting timber from neighbouring West Karbi Anglong district in Assam. Sangma, however, called it an unprovoked firing and "excess use of power" by the Assam forces. Some vehicles with Assam registration numbers were attacked mainly in Shillong in the violent protests that followed the firing.

Meghalaya outpost at Mukroh

The Meghalaya cabinet on Tuesday decided to set up border outposts at seven locations along the disputed border areas including at Mukroh following demand by local residents to prevent alleged harassment by forces from Assam. The outposts would be set up at Mooriap in East Jaintia Hills district, Mukroh and Tihwieh in West Jaintia Hills district, Rani Jirang in Ri-Bhoi district and Umwali and Lejadubi in West Khasi hills district. Sangma said the Mukroh firing complicated the ongoing talks between the two states to resolve the inter-state border disputes.