Assam, Meghalaya begin installing boundary in Hahim to resolve border dispute

Following a dialogue under joint leadership of Assam and Meghalaya chief ministers on June 2, border pillars are being constructed in six areas

Shillong: Administrative officials from Assam and Meghalaya on Tuesday said that boundary pillars are being constructed in the Hahim area under Assam’s Kamrup district, as part of efforts to resolve the border dispute that dates back to 1972, when Meghalaya was carved out of Assam as a separate state.

After decades of deadlock, a breakthrough came in March 2022, when Assam and Meghalaya signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi. (HT Photo)

The pillars are being constructed along the riverbanks of Gijang and Tirchang—passing through villages such as Umshek (Mathapota), Maspara, Malapara, Ranighar, Salpara, Thutia Bazaar near Hahim market, and finally to Rangsapara after Athiabari, which belongs to Meghalaya. This follows a dialogue under the joint leadership of Assam and Meghalaya chief ministers Himanta Biswa Sarma and Conrad K. Sangma, respectively, on June 2.

Over the years, the two states have held 32 rounds of official meetings, attempting to resolve 12 areas of difference spanning over 2,700 sq km. After decades of deadlock, a breakthrough came in March 2022, when Assam and Meghalaya signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi in the presence of union home minister Amit Shah, resolving six of the 12 disputed sectors.

During the second round of talks held this month, both CMs agreed to begin erecting border pillars in the six resolved sectors --- Tarabari, Gizang, Hahim, Boklapara, Khanapara-Pilangkata, and Ratacherra --- by August 15, 2025.

“This is not just a concrete pillar; it’s a symbol of peace, clarity and a better future for border communities. We are committed to completing this phase well before Independence Day, as per the commitment of both chief ministers,” a senior official from the survey team said.

An official, requesting anonymity, said that field units from both the states will soon commence parallel constructions in the Gijang-adjacent areas.

“For decades, we lived with confusion—of belonging to two states at once. Today, we witness history being written in stone,” an elderly resident from Rangthali village said.

However, the six unresolved areas — Block I, Block II, Langpih, Deshdoomreah, Khanduli, and Nongwah-Mawtamur—remain flashpoints, particularly due to ethnic sensitivities, historical claims, and lack of ground-level enforcement after the border between the two states was demarcated under the Assam Reorganisation Act, 1971.