By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: While expressing their doubts over the commitment of the Assam to resolve the long pending boundary dispute, the leaders of political parties and NGOs who met over the boundary issue on Thursday have insisted that the State Government should pursue the matter with the Centre.
“I am of the view that the Centre should act as an arbitrator to oversee the negotiation between the Governments of Meghalaya and Assam to resolve the long pending boundary issue,” Leader of Opposition Conrad K Sangma said.
Sangma said that a dialogue only between the Governments of the two States would lead nowhere.
“In fact it would put the both the States in a difficult situation since they would not be able to arrive at a solution. I think the role of an arbitrator is very crucial in this kind of dialogue,” the Opposition leader said.
While questioning the seriousness of the Assam Government to resolve the boundary issue, veteran political leader and HSPDP supremo Hoping Stone Lyngdoh also insisted that the only way out of the impasse is for the Centre to intervene.
Nongkrem UDP legislator Ardent Basaiawmoit said it is a futile exercise to continue the dialogue with the Assam Government.
‘The Government should directly approach the Centre for settling this matter once and for all,” Basaiawmoit said.
Rev PBM Basaiawmoit said he did not think that the Government should stop demanding the constitution for a Boundary Commission only because Assam has rejected the idea.
“I do not think that Meghalaya is a sub- state that it has to listen to whatever Assam says. We are an autonomous State and we have every right to demand the constitution of the Boundary Commission from the Centre,” Rev Basaiawmoit pointed out.
Stating that if the documents put together by the Government are strong enough to prove that the land under dispute belongs to Meghalaya then the Government could always consider the option of taking legal recourse by approaching the Supreme Court, like the Nagaland Government had done.
“I would also suggest that the Government could lead a peoples’ delegation to Delhi. The people of the State can raise their voice before the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister for resolving the inter-State boundary,” Rev Basaiawmoit said.
In his concluding remarks, Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma feels that the Government should be allowed to continue the dialogue with the Assam Government.
“The recent engagements with Assam have yielded some positive indications. During my meeting with Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, I could see that Assam is also keen to resolve this issue,” Dr Sangma said.
He also said that the Assam is not averse to the idea of an arbitrator.
“Assam Chief Minister had stated that they are open to the idea of an arbitrator,” Dr Mukul said while adding that it is important to realize that Assam Government also has to carefully analyze its move to resolve this issue since it has political ramifications for them too.
Dr Sangma, however, said that the demand for a Boundary Commission from the Centre could go on even while the dialogue with the Assam Chief Minister continues.
“I am also open to the idea of leading a peoples’ delegation to Delhi. I think this would allow the people of the State to voice their concerns on the need to resolve this long pending issue once and for all,” Dr Sangma said.