Border talks to resume tomorrow
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: After a long gap of more than a year, the neighbouring states of Meghalaya and Assam are finally all set to resume talk this week to find out a solution to the long-pending border issue.
The chief secretaries of both the states will meet on Tuesday in Guwahati for preliminary talks on the vexed border issue which has haunted the states for decades.
Chief Secretary WMS Pariat, while informing about the upcoming meeting, said the talks would focus on the dispute at Langpih and other areas of differences.
According to Pariat, the State Government will also submit relevant documents and maps related to Langpih and other areas to Assam as proof to their ownership over the areas which are claimed by both Meghalaya and Assam.
The border dispute at Langpih took an ugly turn on May 14 last year when four Khasi villagers were killed and 12 others injured in indiscriminate firing by Assam police personnel in the disputed village along the Assam-Meghalaya border.
Following the incident, there were strong protests from NGOs and people, compelling the State Government to appoint an inquiry commission to ascertain the facts behind the unfortunate incident.
A chief minister-level meeting was also held at Dispur in June last year to discuss the need to solve the boundary dispute once and for all. Later, a joint committee of chief secretaries of Assam and Meghalaya was formed to follow up the matter.
A judicial inquiry commission led by Justice (retd) PC Phukan is currently probing into the Langpih firing incident.
Presently there are 11 areas of differences along the Assam-Meghalaya border including Langpih.
Meanwhile, it was also informed that the Justice Phukan-led inquiry commission will hold its next hearing in Guwahati from August 8 to 13.