‘Border dispute can’t be solved from conference rooms’: Meghalaya BJP MLA pushes ground-level talks

Senior BJP leader and Meghalaya MLA Alexander Laloo Hek on May 19 said the long-pending Assam-Meghalaya interstate boundary dispute is being addressed through continuous discussions between the two state governments.

Hek said both Assam and Meghalaya are facing political pressure over the sensitive border matter, but maintained that the Meghalaya government is trying to avoid confrontation and is working towards a mutually acceptable solution through dialogue.

He informed that committees headed by MLAs have been constituted in different districts to examine the ground situation and assist in resolving the dispute.

According to the BJP leader, the border issue requires field-level assessment and an understanding of local realities, and cannot be resolved through discussions held only at the administrative level.

Speaking on security concerns, Hek said fencing along the India-Bangladesh border has become “the need of the hour” amid growing concerns over infiltration and border management.

He pointed out that fencing work is already progressing in parts of West Bengal and said similar measures are needed in Meghalaya as well, though certain local disputes and logistical challenges remain in some stretches.

Hek also expressed concern over the continued closure of border haats along the Bangladesh border, stating that residents in border areas are facing hardship due to the suspension of cross-border trade activities.

He said the Meghalaya government has repeatedly taken up the matter with the Centre, but noted that reopening the border haats also involves security-related considerations currently under examination by the central government.