Concerns Arise Over Census Resistance in Assam-Meghalaya Border Villages

Census Challenges in Border Areas

Palasbari, Sept 17: The initial phase of the ongoing census has unveiled significant issues regarding the status of numerous villages situated along the Assam-Meghalaya border in South Kamrup. Reports indicate that census officials are encountering resistance, with some residents asserting their allegiance to Meghalaya.

The areas affected are primarily within the Palasbari, Chhaygaon, and Boko revenue circles, where over 50 villages along the inter-state boundary are facing these challenges.

Census officials have reportedly struggled to access several border villages. In certain instances, they were allegedly barred from performing door-to-door enumeration, with local residents and Meghalaya police preventing Assam officials from proceeding.

In Lumpi Nowapara, located in the Boko revenue circle, officials were compelled to withdraw due to objections from locals and the presence of Meghalaya police. Enumeration efforts in Duyenir and Upper Lumpi also faced obstacles, with 133 families in Duyenir and 169 families in Upper Lumpi reportedly refusing to participate in the Assam census.

Similar challenges have been reported in areas such as Umali, Maulan, Panbari, Katapara, Dronpara, Bangjem, Uma Siang, Moushikar, Ungtab, Rani, and Nawapara. In these locations, census officials had to gather information from third parties, such as village heads or senior residents.

The Ukiam area under the Chhaygaon revenue circle has also experienced ongoing tensions. Census personnel were unable to access several regions, including Umphuli, Umling, Ranibari, Umdaling, Talimara, and Umphir. In Noonmati, Imkhamdal, and Sarupani, officials resorted to collecting census data from third parties.

In the Palasbari revenue circle, officials encountered resistance in Amring village, where over 100 families allegedly obstructed the enumeration process, claiming they had become part of Meghalaya. In Bakhalapara, around 60 families also expressed objections to the census officials. Similar issues were noted in Jimirigaon.

Reports indicate that residents of various border villages within the Palasbari revenue circle have been exercising their voting rights in both Assam and Meghalaya, underscoring the complexities along the inter-state boundary.

Local sources attribute these challenges to the increasing influence of Meghalaya in certain border regions, coupled with what they describe as ‘long-standing neglect by the Assam government’. They argue that government initiatives and essential services have not adequately reached many border communities, while Meghalaya has been providing better access to education, healthcare, electricity, drinking water, housing, and connectivity.

These incidents have raised alarms regarding the administration's effectiveness in Assam's border regions and the urgent need for enhanced government intervention to address the concerns of border residents.

While Meghalaya has reportedly conducted enumeration in several villages along the South Kamrup border, the first phase of Assam’s census operations has recently concluded. These developments have intensified focus on the situation in border areas and highlighted the necessity for the Assam government to take action to resolve these issues.