By Our Reporter
Shillong: The Border Joint Action Committee-Jaintia and Karbi (BJAC-JK) has stated that the unresolved boundary dispute between Meghalaya and Assam in Jaintia Hills-Karbi Anglong areas could be solved politically while including the views of the people residing along the border areas.
The BJAC -JK, a conglomerate of Jaintia Students’ Union, Karbi Students’ Association and local headmen of both communities residing along the border areas met Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma on Wednesday to press for a solution to the long-pending issue.
“History can be one of the solutions for resolving the long-pending problem,” BJAC-JK member and KSA general secretary Leeon Engleng told reporters here after the meeting.
Engleng said that both the state governments should take into consideration past documents like the 1951 Act relating to the creation of Mikir Hills and North Cachar Hills and the North Eastern Re-Organisation Act, 1971 when both the governments constituted a body to find out a solution to the issue especially the demarcation of the boundary.
Stating that the opinions of the people residing along the inter-state border are equally important in resolving this issue, Engleng said that both the state governments should include the aspirations of the headmen and people residing along the border areas when they come to an understanding for resolving the boundary issue.
“It depends on the headmen and people from both the communities (Khasi-Pnar and Karbi) residing in the areas of dispute to decide whether they want to be part of Assam or Meghalaya,” Engleng added.
Meanwhile, JSU president and convener of BJAC-JK, Rikut N Parien, informed that the delegation will meet the Chief Executive Member of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous District Council on July 26 to pursue their demands to solve the problem at the earliest, after which they will take up the matter with Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.
“Both the organisations along with headmen from the border areas of Jaintia Hills and Karbi-Anglong have decided to work together to pursue the matter with the respective state governments,” Parien stated, adding that they have also decided to work together to ensure maintenance of peace and tranquility in the disputed areas.
He also claimed that Dr Mukul Sangma has assured to intervene into the matter and write to the Assam Government to solve the issue at the earliest.