Stop holding dialogue with Assam, Ardent tells Govt

Border dispute:  Hunger strike by elected representatives

By Our Reporter

 SHILLONG: Cutting across the party line, a group of elected representatives to the State Assembly and the KHADC on Tuesday staged a day-long token hunger strike demanding the Centre’s intervention in settling the vexed boundary dispute with Assam.

The leader of the group UDP legislator Ardent Basaiawmoit demanded that Meghalaya Government should stop holding negotiations with Assam on the border issue.

“We no longer believe in negotiations and the Meghalaya Government should not hold any kind of dialogue with Assam since it has betrayed us on several occasions in the past,” Basaiawmoit said.

The relationship between the two neighbouring states touched a nadir after the Langpih incident of 2010 when Assam police personnel demolished the dorbar hall of the Hima Raid Mynsaw at Langpih.

According to Basaiawmoit, the Centre should immediately intervene to resolve the dispute for once and all.

A sub-committee on inter state boundary in Meghalaya had recommended to the state government for setting up of an independent boundary commission under the auspices of the Union government which was rejected by the Assam government.

“The Central Government should not listen to Assam only and boundary commission must be constituted,” he added.

Meghalaya and Assam have 12 areas of differences along the inter-state border.