From Our Correspondent
NONGPOH: Sending a strong signal to the MUA-II Government that they are not contended with mere talks and status quo policy and dilly dally tactics of the government on the contentious Meghalaya-Assam border disputes, the KSU North Khasi Hills District unit on Tuesday called for a two-day office picketing from Thursday in the entire Ri-Bhoi district.
The KSU has appealed to the office goers and the general public to lend their support to the agitational programme.
Backing the KSU’s agitation, two aggrieved traditional bodies – the Synjuk Rangbah Shnong (SRS) Raid Nongtung (Block-II) and the Hima Nongspung – have also extended their support to the office picketing.
This was informed to The Shillong Times after a meeting of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the KSU led by the Union’s North Khasi Hills president Ferdinand Kharkamni.
He said that the Union had served a one-week deadline to the State Government on May 13 for solving the border disputes and tackling the infringement by Assam in Ri-Bhoi District, but the State Government has remained indifferent towards their demand.
“It seems that the Government is taking our silence as a sign of our weakness; thus we are now compelled to agitate to make the Government listen to our demands. We will intensify our agitation if the Government continues to remain indifferent,” Kharkamni said.
SRS Raid Nongtung Chairman and Sabuda Rangbah Shnong B Sohtun, who also attended the KSU CEC meeting, said that they are extending full support to the agitational programme as they are fed up of the lips services of the government.
Hima Nongspung secretary, D Syiemlieh, also extended support to the agitation call, even though he did not attend the meeting.
Incidentally, the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) is back to its old tricks again and seems to be determined to complete the construction of the SBI Building at Sabuda on the premise of the Assam Police Battalion Camp, in Block-II area.
This scribe, who visited Sabuda on Monday, witnessed that the KAAC had unloaded a truckload of cemented blocks near the construction site, despite having stopped the work after opposition from local residents of Meghalaya and the KSU and the CSWO (Irene group).
CSWO flays Chief Secretary’s ‘indifferent’ statement
The Civil Society Women’s Organization (CSWO-Irene group) has taken exception to a press statement of Chief Secretary WMS Pariat on the alleged issue of planting of bamboo stalks in Block-II area by the KAAC.
Pariat, in his statement, had said: ‘considering that these are economic and agricultural activities, I hope the people will not mind’.
CSWO (I) general secretary Christabel Wanniang, while taking exception to the statement, slammed Pariat for his irresponsible remark.
She further said that such statement by the topmost bureaucrat of the State clearly indicates that Meghalaya has entered into some hidden agreement with Assam due to which the former is compelled to remain a mute spectator to every infringement by Assam in its territory and hide behind the shadow of status quo every time.
Wanniang also condemned the State Government for not speeding up developmental activities in the border areas along Assam because of which the neighbouring state is taking undue advantage and encroaching into the land belonging to Meghalaya.
Meanwhile, local residents have also reacted to the statement by the Chief Secretary, terming the same as uncalled for.
“How would the chief Secretary feel if his neighbour encroaches into his land and forcibly plants bamboo stalks in his residential premises? Will he still say that it is an economic and agricultural activity and he will not mind?” local residents questioned.