Guwahati: The Governments of Assam and Meghalaya on Saturday held a crucial joint meeting to review the situation following the violent incident in Shillong on August 19, 2026, during which several Assam-registered vehicles were reportedly targeted.
The meeting, held at the Koinadhara State Guest House, was jointly led by Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Dr. S. Dhar and Assam Minister Atul Bora. Senior officers from both State Governments were also present. After more than three hours of detailed deliberations, the two governments arrived at a series of major decisions aimed at ensuring the safety of travellers, restoring confidence and strengthening coordination between the neighbouring states.
The Government of Meghalaya expressed its sincere regret over the unfortunate incident in Shillong and assured the Assam Government that strong action would be taken against all those involved in the violence.
The Meghalaya Government informed the meeting that the President, Vice-President and General Secretary of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) have been arrested under the provisions of the Meghalaya Maintenance of Public Order Act. Authorities have also registered 15 FIRs so far in connection with the August 19 incident.
According to the Meghalaya Government, five masked persons have been identified for their alleged involvement in the violence, particularly in attacks on Assam-registered vehicles. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been constituted to identify all individuals involved in the violence and ensure that those responsible are prosecuted in accordance with the law.
Both governments reviewed the evacuation and safe movement of stranded travellers and vehicles. Meghalaya informed the meeting that more than 3,770 Assam-registered vehicles had already been safely escorted out of the state and into Assam.
The Assam Control Room has so far received 54 distress calls involving 175 persons, who are being assisted in evacuation. These cases include travellers in 22 private vehicles and five tourist vehicles. Meghalaya’s Control Room, meanwhile, has received 379 distress calls, with authorities taking steps to facilitate the safe transit of those affected.
Most stranded travellers and vehicles, including an estimated 400 to 500 vehicles that were earlier held up in Meghalaya, have now successfully crossed important transit corridors, including the Umiam Lake section, officials said.
The two governments further agreed that any remaining passengers or vehicles awaiting transfer to Assam would be safely escorted within the next 48 hours. A dedicated exercise will be undertaken to ensure that every tourist or vehicle wishing to return to Assam is properly facilitated and provided safe passage.
To strengthen real-time coordination, Assam and Meghalaya agreed to establish a dedicated hotline mechanism between the IG, Special Branch, Assam, and the IG, Law and Order, Meghalaya. Dedicated helplines and an online support forum will also be activated to help locate and facilitate stranded individuals.
In another significant decision, permanent district-level joint committees will be constituted involving the Deputy Commissioner of Nongpoh and the Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup Metropolitan, along with police officers of corresponding levels from both districts. The committees will work to ensure that day-to-day issues arising along the inter-State border are addressed and resolved promptly.
The two governments also decided to form a joint committee comprising Commissioner/Secretary-level Transport authorities of both states, along with representatives of tourist vehicle associations. The committee will work towards facilitating and regulating tourist transport movement while protecting the shared tourism interests of Assam and Meghalaya.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring safe and secure transit for vehicles travelling between different parts of Assam through Meghalaya, including connectivity between the Barak Valley and the rest of Assam. Similar arrangements will also be made to ensure safe passage for people travelling between different parts of Meghalaya through Assam.
Significantly, the Government of Meghalaya reiterated that it would take responsibility for the safety and security of all tourists and vehicles travelling from Assam and other parts of the country into Meghalaya during their stay and movement within the state.
The decisions taken at the high-level meeting are expected to restore confidence among travellers and strengthen cooperation between Assam and Meghalaya in maintaining peace, ensuring safe movement and protecting the long-standing social, economic and tourism ties between the two neighbouring states.
