Shira bats for traditional cooperation model to maintain peace along border

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 21: Senior NPP leader and cabinet minister Timothy D Shira on Thursday said the long history of peaceful coexistence and shared cultivation practices between communities living along the Assam-Meghalaya border should serve as the foundation for resolving present-day disputes, even as tensions continue over the Lapangap sector in West Jaintia Hills.

Referring to the recurring friction in the border village, Shira observed that residents from both Meghalaya and Assam have, for generations, cultivated land across the border regions and maintained social and economic ties without major confrontation.

He suggested that traditional arrange-ments based on mutual understanding and cooperation could continue to help maintain harmony in disputed areas until a permanent settlement is reached.

“People from both sides have been living and cultivating in these areas since time immemorial,” the minister said, while noting that many border communities remain closely linked through farming activities and day-to-day interactions despite the interstate dispute.

Though clarifying that he is not directly involved with the regional committee handling the Assam-Meghalaya boundary talks, Shira said many of the current disagreements are rooted in historical land-use patterns where communities moved freely and cultivated land irrespective of administrative boundaries. (Contd on P-7)