Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Monday said Mukroh is part of his state, describing Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s claim on the area as unfortunate.

CM Sarma, in a written reply to a query in the Assam assembly, said Mukroh village is a part of the West Karbi Anglong district of his state.

“I do not know why the Assam chief minister made such a statement. Mukroh lies within the jurisdiction and is in the possession of Meghalaya,” Tynsong said.

“Our stand is very very clear, Mukroh is well within Meghalaya,” he added.

CM Sarma’s statement came about four months after a bloody clash that claimed six lives in the area, which is along the Assam-Meghalaya border. A forest guard from Assam and five villagers of Meghalaya were killed in the violence that broke out on November 22 after a truck “laden with illegally-felled timber” was intercepted by the forest personnel of Assam.

Tynsong said the second round of the border talks with Assam will resume soon, and it will put an end to all such claims.

“Both the states are in the process of negotiating the boundary issue. I do not know why Sarma made such a statement,” he said.

The Assam government also said that it was yet to officially inform Meghalaya about its position on Mukroh.

Assam and Meghalaya have a longstanding dispute in 12 areas along the 884.9-km-long interstate border, and the location of the November 22 clash happens to be one among these.

The two Northeastern states had signed a memorandum of understanding in March 2022 in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi for settling the dispute in six areas.

Meghalaya was carved out of Assam in 1972 and had since then challenged the Assam Reorganisation Act, 1971, which is recognised by Assam as its border. 

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