The governments of Meghalaya and Assam have agreed on a series of measures to ensure the safe movement of tourists and Assam-registered vehicles following violence reported in Shillong on August 19. The decisions were taken at a joint meeting held at Koinadhara State Guest House on Saturday, led by Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar and Assam Minister Atul Bora. Senior officials from both states attended the meeting, which lasted more than three hours.
The Meghalaya government expressed regret over the August 19 incident and assured Assam that strong action would be taken against those involved. It informed the Assam government that the president, vice-president and general secretary of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) had been arrested under the Meghalaya Maintenance of Public Order Act. Fifteen FIRs have so far been registered in connection with the violence, while five masked persons allegedly involved in the attacks, particularly on Assam-registered vehicles, have been identified.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been constituted to identify and prosecute those involved. More than 3,770 Assam-registered vehicles have already been safely escorted out of Meghalaya into Assam. The Assam Control Room received 54 distress calls involving 175 people, including 22 private vehicles and five tourist vehicles.
Meghalaya’s Control Room, meanwhile, received 379 distress calls. Most stranded travellers and vehicles, including around 400–500 vehicles that were earlier held up in Meghalaya, have since crossed key transit corridors, including the Umiam Lake section. Any remaining passengers or vehicles seeking to return to Assam will be safely escorted within the next 48 hours, with a dedicated exercise planned to facilitate their movement.
The two states also agreed to establish a dedicated coordination mechanism between the IG, Special Branch, Assam, and the IG, Law & Order, Meghalaya. Dedicated helplines and an online support forum will also be set up to assist stranded persons. As a longer-term measure, permanent district-level joint committees involving officials from Nongpoh and Kamrup Metropolitan districts will be constituted to address inter-State border issues.
A separate joint committee involving transport authorities and tourist vehicle associations will be formed to regulate tourist transport and safeguard tourism interests in both states. Both governments agreed to ensure safe transit for vehicles travelling between Assam and Meghalaya, including those travelling from the Barak Valley through Meghalaya. Meghalaya also reiterated that it would take responsibility for the safety and security of tourists and vehicles from Assam and other parts of the country while they are travelling and staying in the state.
The Assam border protection and development minister appealed to the protesting taxi operators and unions in Assam to withdraw the agitation/blockade of National Highway-27, which affected vehicle movement for the third consecutive day on Saturday. The chief secretaries of both states along with other high-level officials also took part in the meeting held to explore ways to bring back normalcy and peace between the two states. Tension also prevailed in the other routes connecting the two states with protesters threatening to block all routes till a permanent solution was put in place and safety of drivers and tourists ensured in Meghalaya.
