By Our Reporter
Civil Hospital on Thursday. (TM)
Shillong: “Government is concerned about the developments taking place in Langpih. A high-level delegation led by Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh will be visiting Langpih on Friday,” Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma said on Thursday.
“The high-level delegation will try to convince the members of the civil society who are holding the fast-unto-death to call off their agitation,” Dr Sangma told reporters.
He also said that he would be writing a letter making a personal request to the agitators to call off their fast-unto-death, keeping in mind the steps taken by the State Government to try and resolve the long pending inter-State boundary dispute.
The Chief Minister said that he has briefed Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram about the latest situation in Langpih.
“I have also sent an official communiqué to the Union Home Ministry in this regard,” Dr Sangma said while also informing that a detailed report on the prevailing situation at Langpih, lying on the fringes of West Khasi Hills and Kamrup districts, following the fast-unto-death being undertaken by activists, would be immediately dispatched to the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister said that he had also written to his Assam counterpart Tarun Gogoi expressing concern over the ongoing situation at Langpih.
Maintaining that safety and security of the people residing along the inter-State border is of paramount importance, the Chief Minister said that whatever agreement arrived at during the course of discussion between the two states especially at the level of the field officers should be adhered to. “The district administration of Assam should restrain from any action which would convey the feeling of oppression or harassment among the villagers residing along the border,” Dr Sangma said.
He further said that he would ask the Assam Chief Minister to have a review at his level so that the agreements arrived at are being respected and implemented.
While emphasizing the need for continued dialogues with Assam on the border dispute, Dr Sangma said central intervention to prevail upon Assam to agree to the establishment of a Boundary Commission is very crucial.
“It would be a win-win situation for both the states if a Boundary Commission is set up to expedite the process of settling the border dispute. If some groups are asking our government to stop engaging with Assam, that reflects their doubts on the sincerity and commitment of our counterpart in resolving the problem,” Dr Sangma said.
Earlier, the Assam Assembly had negated the resolution passed by the Meghalaya Assembly to impress upon the Centre to establish a Boundary Commission to resolve the long pending imbroglio.
“We should carry along everybody and a solution must be acceptable to our people. Even if the problem is settled, some political parties may say that the settlement is unacceptable to us,” he added.
The Chief Minister also declared that the documents, which were handed by Meghalaya to Assam, on the 12 areas of dispute, were strong enough to justify the state’s claims.
Earlier, Dr Sangma also held a detailed review meeting with senior officials to take stock of the situation, which has arisen out of the fast-unto-death.