SHILLONG: The CSWO on Wednesday raised the issues of inter-State boundary dispute, militancy, alleged fake encounters among others in a memorandum submitted to BJP president, Amit Shah.
In the memorandum, CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing said that from the decades-old inter-state boundary issue with Assam to the constant terror in Garo Hills created by mushrooming militancy and by police, and from the killing of an honest police sub-inspector to rampant diversion of the Public Distribution System (PDS), Meghalaya’s problems were diverse.
She also alleged that the Hill State is being governed by a group of politicians who have amassed wealth in a short time and are not serious to attend to the various issues ailing the people.
Referring to the long pending inter-State boundary with Assam, she said that Meghalaya has no official map and it was only in 2009 the map was made by the Geological Survey of India on instructions of the Union DONER ministry and boundaries shown in the same have actually reduced the limits of the State.
“Meghalaya had an area of over 22,500 sq kms, but now it has been reduced to 22,429 sq kms. In addition to this, there are the disputed areas, which remain unresolved till date,” she said in the memorandum.
She alleged that the delay in resolving the boundary issue and drawing the actual map of the State has led to much human rights violation and abuse of power by the State of Assam through its police.
On the militancy problem in Garo Hills, Kharshiing said that the people in the area are eager to rally for peace and normalcy but are hindered due to rise in militancy and abuse of power by some police personnel.
She also alleged that extortion by some men-in-uniform is also rampant along the national highways of Meghalaya. “This extortion leads to price rise of essential commodities,” she said.
Meanwhile, referring to the recent case of the murder of Sub-Inspector Pearly Joshua Marbaniang, Kharshiing alleged that the cop was killed by fellow policemen on January 24, a day after he detained 32 trucks, which were plying illegally from Patharkhmah, Ri-Bhoi.
She also highlighted the various anomalies that plague the Public Distribution System (PDS) in the State.
HANM concerned over law and order
The members of Hynniewtrep Achik National Movement (HANM) also met the BJP President and presented a memorandum seeking early solution to the border dispute and end to the sufferings of the people in Garo Hills due to spurt in militant activities.
The HANM also opposed the move to ban cow slaughter.
Meghalaya Peoples United Front plea
The Meghalaya Peoples United Front, headquartered in Jowai has urged the Centre to set up a NEHU campus in Jaintia Hills.
The members of MPUF also took up the issue of appointment of a regular VC in NEHU while the Front also wanted a review of recruitment policy in NEHU.
Border Committee concerned
The Coordination Committee on International Border which met BJP president Amit Shah has expressed concern over exempting Assam from the proposed land swap deal due to political compulsions even as the Centre is keen to implement the deal as far as Meghalaya sector is concerned.
“This is purely a political discrimination without considering the lon term impacts on Meghalaya,” the CCIB said in a memorandum submitted to Shah.
