Joint Peace Committee facilitates signing of agreement between border villages
Shillong, Dec 2: The situation in tension-hit Maikhuli village along Meghalaya–Assam border has slowly returned to normalcy following signing of an agreement to maintain peace by residents of both sides in the area.
The agreement was signed on Tuesday after successful intervention of the Joint Peace Committee of the area.
Earlier, tension erupted in Maikhuli when a group from Assam allegedly attempted to erase inscriptions on a stone marker indicating the implementation of MGNREGA scheme near a fishpond in the village.
It led to confrontation between villagers of Maikhuli and individuals from the Assam side, prompting both state administrations to deploy police and magistrates to prevent further escalation.
Concerned over the incident, Jirang MLA and Cabinet Minister Sosthenes Sohtun issued directives to Ri-Bhoi district administration and police to act swiftly to defuse the situation. This led to the prompt arrival of Peace Committee members from both states, who convened a meeting on December 2 in Maikhuli.
The peace negotiations were led by Ri-Bhoi magistrate Eric Dkhar and Assam’s Topash Saikia along with Maikhuli headman Nicholas Marak among others.
During the meeting, the committee addressed the actions of certain individuals attempting to create misunderstanding and tension among the border communities. It was unanimously decided that residents and leaders from both sides would sign an agreement to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
The meeting also approved the restoration of an electric pole damaged several months ago and the reinstatement of inscriptions on the MGNREGA foundation stone that vandals had tried to erase.
MLA Sohtun informed that he had immediately apprised Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma of the incident, following which the Deputy Commissioners of both states were directed to coordinate and ensure peace and security in the border villages.
The signing of the agreement marks a crucial step in reinforcing harmony and cooperation between the neighbouring communities.
