New Delhi: Clashes broke out along the disputed Assam-Meghalaya border on Tuesday, September 26, when people from both sides used arrows and bows to attack each other. However, none was injured in the clashes, news agency PTI quoted officials as saying.The incident took place in Lapangap village along the boundary between Meghalaya’s West Jaintia Hills district and Assam’s West Karbi Anglong district. The situation on the ground is calm but tense due to the presence of police personnel.“We are coordinating with our counterparts in Assam’s West Karbi Anglong district to keep the situation under control,” a senior official of the West Jaintia Hills district said.According to the Hindustan Times, the clash was a result of a contested piece of land in Lapangap which falls in Meghalaya and the people from both sides of the border claim it as theirs. West Jaintia Hills deputy commissioner, who was quoted by the newspaper, said the land actually belongs to the people of Lapangap village, as they have been cultivating it for long. The clash broke out when Lapangap villagers began to harvest their produce, he added.The latest border clashes come after both the Assam and Meghalaya governments began the second phase of border talks in May this year to resolve the border dispute along the 884.9 km inter-state border. The talks in May were in continuation to an agreement signed by neighbouring states in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah following violent clashes in November last year, which claimed six lives.Five people from Meghalaya and one Assam forest guard were among those who were killed. While Meghalaya said the deaths were a result of “unprovoked firing” on the part of Assam personnel, the latter said Assam police opened fire only to save themselves from timber smugglers in the forest located in West Karbi Anglong.People in the know of things about the latest clash told HT that it was from Assam’s side arrows were shot at farmers in Meghalaya. They said a policeman had a narrow escape. In fact, Meghalaya farmers had written to police last week asking for central forces to be deployed to prevent any violence with the harvesting season approaching. They had expressed fear that there could be attempts from the other side to destroy their plantations.There are allegations that in July this year, Assam Police had accompanied people from the Assam side who had destroyed saplings on the other side of the border. A police team from Meghalaya was allegedly attacked with stones in the same area in August, forcing them to leave the spot.A committee constituted by the Assam government to probe into last year’s clashes returned to Guwahati last month after a lack of response from the Meghalaya side. Meghalaya, however, maintains that the Assam probe panel has no locus standi as the incident took place in Meghalaya.The border dispute between the neighbouring states dates back to January 21, 1972, when the Assam Reorganisation Act, 1971, separated Meghalaya from Assam. Twelve areas experienced disputes as a result of Meghalaya’s objection. The two states disagreed over a 36.79 square kilometer area, according to IANS.