Editor,
India is a country of many states and union territories. Strangely enough we rarely hear of boundary disputes between states. Assam and Meghalaya on the other hand is having this continuous see-saw for the last 45 years, as reported in your paper, and serious law and order problems were earlier reported in Langpih areas. The law & order problems in Langpih resonated even in Shillong and there was tension in the whole state during that period. What is so special about the Assam –Meghalaya border? Is this problem the mythological Gordian knot that it can never be solved? Why do other states not have such problem? Can we imagine the chaos in this country if such disputes are present between different states of the country some sharing thousands of kilometres of boundaries between them? During my service, I was working mostly in the border districts of Odisha with Andhra Pradesh and Chattisgarh. The boundaries of these states are hundreds of kilometres long and pass through different terrain, yet there were never any boundary disputes between the states. As part of the boundaries pass through reserved forests, I had personally inspected and verified many of the boundary pillars which are annually maintained. The boundaries are clearly demarcated with pillars at strategic points and I have never heard of any border disputes. In Meghalaya, however, this is not the case. A few months back while travelling from Jirang to Guwahati I saw the forest check gate in the Assam –Meghalaya border but there are no boundary pillars anywhere. From the road I could also see some Mawbynna ( Khasi monoliths) in a teak plantation of the Assam Forest Department which might indicate that it earlier was a part of the Khasi State but it is now squarely inside a teak plantation of Assam.
All the hue and cry and chest beating about the Khasi areas being encroached by Assam will not solve the problem. No fasting, no adjournment motion and no long winding emotional, patriotic speech anywhere will bring back the Assam teak plantation to Meghalaya (assuming them to be earlier part of the Khasi States). Unless boundary pillars are erected, and clear maps in topo sheets are drawn (with clear physical boundaries in forest areas) this problem will never be solved. To have a clear demarcated boundary in topo sheets and on the ground, the whole border should be thoroughly surveyed by an independent body from the Central Govt, and pillars constructed at strategic points. Once such permanent pillars are constructed and clear maps drawn in topo sheets, the problem will be solved forever. But who will create this independent body?
Article 3 of the Constitution is crystal clear that the Parliament of India has absolute authority in the creation and drawing of boundaries of any State. Unless the issue is taken up seriously by the Government of India there will be no solution to this problem. It is the duty of our elected representatives to bring this issue to Parliament. One may wonder as to why the issue is pending for so long especially when earlier we had two Ministers from Meghalaya in the Central Govt in Delhi. Now that both Assam and Meghalaya have Congress governments it should not be difficult for both to bring this issue to Parliament provided there is a will to do it.
Just recently a PIL was filed in the Honourable Supreme Court about a certain issue in Meghalaya. Should a PIL be filed on this issue also? What is sad is that during the riots in Bodo areas in Assam last year, North-easterners were distinctly identified and targeted in many parts of India. All the politicians of the Northeast had then come together as one. The North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) came into prominence and the KSU also participated as part of NESO. When all of us feel threatened we cry hoarse about alienation from the mainland etc, and we come together as a region- Northeast. But we do not bother to solve problems between our North Eastern States. The festering sore of Assam- Meghalaya boundary problem is similarly kept alive for so many years leading to loss of lives and unnecessary tension between inhabitants of Meghalaya and Assam. Is it not time to solve this issue once and for all? We should remember that when grievances and disturbances are kept festering, they become fertile grounds for anti –national activities and who knows maybe fishing grounds for the Maoists & ISI?
Yours etc.,
T.H.S.Bonney (IFS Retd)
Sohiong Village (Mawtap)
A thought on the KSU rally
Editor,
The “KSU Rally” incident has outraged and angered the city as a whole especially the local Khasi people. The damage that the rally had caused is a shame to our society, however, we sometimes forget that the Khasi Student’s Union(KSU) has safeguarded and protected the Khasi community in a thousand ways. Just take a clear look at the past and one can understand that perfectly. Like Machiavelli said, one sincere move will cover dozens of dishonest ones. So also, one insincere move will wipe out dozens of honest ones. Therefore, this is an appeal to the Khasi community to accept that no organisation can be perfect in its functioning and that the terroristic acts of a few cannot be blamed on the entire organisation. Then again, this appeal is also to the KSU members that such rallies should promote the Khasi culture and not denounce it through such harassments.
Yours etc.,
Eusebia Kharsyiemiong,
Via email