SHILLONG, Feb 3: Annoyed over alleged blatant encroachment of the state’s land by Assam, the Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisation (CoMSO) has sought the intervention of the Union Home Ministry to ensure that Assam does not violate the status quo along the disputed belt of the inter-state boundary.
The CoMSO took cognizance of a transit camp being constructed by Assam in Khanapara and asked the neighbouring state to honour the status quo.
Asking the Meghalaya government to take up the matter with Assam, CoMSO chairman, Robertjune Kharjahrin said as per documents, the land of the transit camp belongs to the Thangkhiew clan.
“We demand that Assam stops the construction work immediately. We will ask the Chief Secretary and the Ri Bhoi Deputy Commissioner to pursue the matter aggressively,” Kharjahrin said.
He asked the Meghalaya government to adopt an aggressive approach like Nagaland and Mizoram towards border disputes. He said as per the status quo, both states will not take up any construction work along the disputed areas without the consent of each other.
The CoMSO chairman said it is the duty of the Central government to settle the boundary disputes as per Schedule 1 of the Constitution.
The statement comes just days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah had asked the states in the Northeast to resolve their boundary disputes mutually and amicably.
Maintaining that it will be a big embarrassment for India to have boundary disputes at a time the country is approaching 75 years of its independence, Kharjahrin said Assam may have general elections but talks at the levels of Chief Secretary, Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police can still be held on the issue.
