Shillong, May 14: The state police has deployed an SF-10 platoon and two platoons of Meghalaya Police Battalion (MLP) in Lapangap village in West Jaintia Hills district to protect farmers of the border village from alleged harassment from Assam side.
Informing this on Thursday, Director General of Police Idashisha Nongrang also said setting up of a police camp in the area is also under consideration following Assam police setting up a camp amid the ongoing tensions.
Deployment of the additional forces in Lapangap came in the wake of a mass protest by the villagers in Shillong on Wednesday when they demanded for adequate security for farmers in carrying out their farming activities.
The villagers alleged that their crops were being destroyed at night by groups from adjacent Karbi Anglong in Assam.
The DGP said the deployment was decided at a meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister, which the police department “seconded”.
“They (SF-10) had gone today and they should be reaching there by now as they had left early in the morning,” she added.
On the current strength, the DGP said, “A platoon at the moment and we will see depending on the situation… whether we need to put in more people or not.”
Additionally, two MLP platoons were deployed in the sensitive border region earlier this week.
Nongrang stressed that further reinforcement would be determined by ground realities.
“It will depend on the situation. When we are deploying for law and order, it all depends on what happens. It is a developing situation. We would take assessment every now and then,” she said.
On the villagers’ demand for a police outpost, the DGP said Meghalaya would consider putting up a camp, noting that Assam had already done so.
“As you are aware Assam insisted that we maintain the status quo. So, while they have put up theirs, it is more of a camp. So, depending on the situation, we will also see from our side, we would put up a camp,” Nongrang said.
She pointed out that the Barato outpost, inaugurated last Saturday, is located 16 to 19 km from Lapangap.
Acknowledging public grievances raised during Wednesday’s protest, he said, “The people of Lapangap came yesterday. There was a significant turnout. In fact, my officers on the ground were saying the majority of Lapangap village turned out en masse yesterday,” she said.
“It was a very genuine problem for them. They have been saying that while the Assam side is not stopping the cultivation, but they go for cultivation and in the evening whatever they planted is uprooted during the night,” the DGP said.
Admitting it as a real problem faced by villagers, she said, “They are saying that we haven’t had much support from us and we have been trying our best.”
