Assam –Meghalaya Border Dispute: Tension Grips Area Near Guwahati

Tension reignited along the Assam-Meghalayaborder in the Bhasistha- Pillangkata area when a notice board erected by Meghalaya authorities to assert land ownership was found completely covered in black paint. Local residents from the Meghalaya side immediately blamed people from Assam for the act, viewing it as a deliberate step of provocation and erasure of their historical claim.

A local woman, speaking in Assamese, put the blame on Meghalaya. She was quoted to have said in media as—“Woman from Meghalaya hollered and pushed Assamese woman, accusing them for wiping the signboards.”

Reportedly, a group of woman from the Meghalaya side crossed into the contested zone and physically attacked an Assamese woman living nearby. The incident quickly escalated into a large gathering of resident from both sides, but security forces of Assam and Meghalaya managed to prevent it from turning into a full- scale clash.
Another woman from Assam side commented—“They throw rocks at me and my body was bleeding. But the police is tried to a parting apart me from the fight.”

While others told media—“I didn’t do anything, I was just standing beside the gate but they slaped and kick me also they try to hair pulling and threatened to kill me. At that time, I requested the police for help, but fail to refused profound+ intervene.

The flashpoint is part of a decades old border dispute rooted in differing interpretations of colonial-era boundaries and the 1972 creation of Meghalaya. Although six of the twelve disputed areas were resolved in 2022, place like Pillangkata remain unresolved making even minor incidents such as defacing a signboard feel like major assaults on identity and territory.

As of 1 December 2025, Heavy police deployment continues, cross border movement is restricted and both state governments have urged calm while officials hold emergency talks. Once again, a small act of vandalism has exposed how fragile peace remains along this sensitive frontier.

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