The stand-off over paddy harvesting at Lapangap village along the Assam-Meghalaya border in West Jaintia Hills district has been resolved, with farmers resuming work on Tuesday under tight security, officials said. The breakthrough was achieved under the joint initiative of Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), and traditional leaders, who intervened to defuse tensions between the two communities, they said.
In a display of solidarity, villagers from Lakaroi, predominantly Karbis, came forward on Tuesday to assist the Pnar villagers of Lapangap in harvesting paddy, which had been stalled since violence erupted on October 9. Tensions had escalated on October 9 when residents of Tapat in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district allegedly prevented Lapangap farmers from harvesting in a contested field. The unrest had led to the death of one person from Tapat, and a night curfew from 6 pm to 10 am remains in force in Lapangap.
Authorities said the temporary halt in harvesting had adversely affected farmers’ livelihoods and appreciated the cooperation shown by both communities in resolving the conflict. Security personnel remain deployed in and around the agricultural fields to prevent any untoward incidents as major harvesting resumes under careful supervision.