A day after a clash broke out between villagers and Assam Police personnel in disputed Langpih area, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Friday said the situation was normalised there.
Talks between the two states on the matter have started, though prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC was imposed in Langpih as a precautionary measure by the authorities in Meghalaya.
A report from Assam quoting police in Kamrup district said seven persons, including five police personnel, were injured in the clash on Thursday and two people were detained.
Langpih - or Lumpi, as it called in Assam - has been a bone of contention between the two north-eastern neighbours for decades. Meghalaya claims it to be part of West Khasi Hills district, while Assam asserts that it falls under its Kamrup district.
"The situation was normalised but four people were injured and two people were arrested," Meghalaya Chief Minister told reporters in Shillong.
He said, "We have immediately spoken to the Assam. West Khasi Hills district SP has informed the matter to the SP of the other side. They have discussed it and I think the two people will be released."
During the day, sub-divisional officer of Mawshynrut area has promulgated section 144 CrPC in Langpih as a precautionary measure following the clash, officials said.
The clash took place at Umawali village near Langpih on Thursday when the Assam Police tried to stop work for electrification there and arrested two persons, a senior officer of Meghalaya Police said.
"They said the area falls in Assam. When the villagers protested and started pelting stones, the Assam policemen resorted to lathi charge and, in the process, four persons were injured," he said.
Jogendra Barman, Officer-in-Charge of Boko police station in Kamrup district of Assam, said labourers working under a contractor were illegally engaged in electrification work at Lumpi claiming that the area belonged to Meghalaya.
People of Lumpi tried to stop the workers who then attacked the locals, Barman said.
A police team reached the spot on being informed but unidentified people from Meghalaya pelted stones at them injuring one assistant-sub-inspector of police and four constables, the OC said.
DSP Kalyan Pathak and Barman himself then went there with more personnel and controlled the situation after resorting to a lathi charge, Barman said adding that two labourers were detained for interrogation from the spot where policemen and CRPF personnel were deployed.
The Meghalaya chief minister said the government is trying to ensure that development reaches to the people and status quo is maintained.
He said a "very strong" communication has been sent to the Assam government on the matter.
Sangma, however, said such incidents keep on happening from both sides.
"It is not only from their side, things happen from our side also. When Assam government does some work in some areas, our people also object to it. You can't blame the people," he said.
Asked about chief minister level talks on the border dispute, Sangma said it requires a bit of preliminary discussion.
He said, "I can assure you that we are discussing at different levels. But if meetings happening at CM or chief secretary level, it should come up with some concrete points. We are doing our homework and lets see how it moves forward."
In 2010, four Khasi villagers were killed and eight others were injured in police firing in disputed Langpih.
Assam and Meghalaya have at least 12 areas of differences along the nearly 900 km inter-state border.
Carved out of Assam as an autonomous state in 1970, Meghalaya became a full-fledged state in 1972.
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