GUWAHATI: The Jaintia Students Union (JSU) has called for chief minister-level talks between Assam and Meghalaya to resolve the inter-state boundary issues at the earliest in the interest of residents along the border.
The students’ union, while expressing concern over the security of the Khasi-Jaintia people living in the border villages in West Jaintia Hills, demanded the Meghalaya government to take up requisite measures for protection of the residents.
The past few weeks, it may be recalled, have triggered tension along the boundary between West Karbi Anglong (Assam) and West Jaintia Hills after foiled bids by Assam and Meghalaya police to set up temporary structures at Khatkhasla and Psiyar villages respectively.
“We want the governments of the states to hold chief minister-level talks to put this issue to rest once and for all. People in villages such as Psiyar have been living in a state of fear over the years,” a spokesperson for JSU told The Shillong Times on Sunday.
He said a JSU delegation would soon visit the border area to take stock of the situation.
Asked about the foiled bid to set up a border outpost in Psiyar, he said, “Such measures are for the state to take. As it is, a primary health centre set up by Meghalaya has catered to the people of Psiyar for several years now, which indicates that the area is within our state.”
Meghalaya has been demanding transfer of Block I and Block II of Karbi Anglong to the state. On September 7, 2018 the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) had raised the same demand.
It may be mentioned that a delegation comprising Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) chief executive member, Tuliram Ronghang along with Member of Parliament, Horen Sing Bey and officials of the West Karbi Anglong police and district administration visited the border area on Saturday to take stock of the situation.
The KAAC leader had reportedly told the media that encroachment by illegal settlers would not be allowed in the area and that “Karbi Anglong will not part with even an inch of its land.”
Ronghang further said that a police station would be set up in the border area soon and that there was no need for the people in the area to live in a state of fear as the impasse would be solved through talks between the states.
“Our stand too is that we will not part with an inch of West Jaintia Hills land. Besides, we do not wish to take any bit of West Karbi Anglong land,” the JSU leader said.
He further recalled that the National People’s Party had in its election manifesto clearly mentioned about taking up inter-state border issues and problems along the international border on priority.
“However, even after over a year of the NPP-led government coming to power in Meghalaya, we are yet to see any urgency from the government’s part in regard to the border impasse,” he said.