SHILLONG, July 22: The stage is finally set for both Assam and Meghalaya to once again initiate discussions to resolve the long-pending boundary row between both states. Chief Ministers of Meghalaya and Assam are meeting here “officially” on Friday even as stakeholders here want Meghalaya Government to be firm with Assam while discussing the matter.
The first round of official talks will take place between Conrad Sangma and Himanta Biswa Sarma after both chief ministers had unofficially discussed the matter in Guwahati on two occasions earlier this month.
It is unsure as to what will transpire in the meeting but speculations are rife that both the governments may draw a framework on how to take the talks ahead.
As new hopes take shape, the MLAs whose constituencies fall under the disputed areas with Assam have asked Meghalaya Government not to be soft but adopt a firm and decisive stance with Assam.
Nongpoh MLA, Mayralborn Syiem said that the Government of Meghalaya should take all the stakeholders on board and include the Autonomous District Councils, Syiem, Raid and even headmen because they know the actual boundaries between the two states.
“They know which villages fall under Assam and which fall under Meghalaya,” Syiem said while informing that in Raid Nongtung, there as are as many as 18 villages which are eager to become part of Meghalaya.
Stating that Assam continues to violate the status quo by encroaching into the ancestral lands of Meghalaya, he said the construction of a transit camp in Khanapara came to the notice of every one and with such attempts, the Government of Assam is trying to create more areas of differences.
“There are many incidents which have not come to the notice of people and in the last 11 years, there were as many as 114 incidents of encroachment by the Government of Assam,” he said.
Lamenting that the stand adopted by the Government of Meghalaya is seemingly very soft while discussing the dispute with Assam, he said the Government of Meghalaya this time needs to be firm and uncompromising with its values and also involve the traditional heads.
“We should not listen only to the bureaucrats but we give due weightage to what the traditional heads have to say as well,” he said
Meanwhile, Umroi MLA George Lyngdoh also maintained that Assam should maintain status quo on habitations along the areas of differences so that there are no further attempts to change the demography of these areas.
Reiterating that the sentiments of people residing along the areas of differences should be heard, he suggested that both states should convene an all-party meeting in their respective states to arrive at a political consensus.
He also said that the developmental activities should be allowed to ease the sufferings of people residing along the areas of differences.
After Friday’s meeting, another official meeting between the two states is scheduled to take place in Guwahati.
The last official level talks between Meghalaya and Assam took place in 2018 in Guwahati between the then chief ministers, Mukul Sangma and Sarbananda Sonowal.
It may be mentioned that skirmishes along the disputed areas between the two states are quite common and the entire process of holding talks has been expedited after the call of the Union Home Minister to resolve all boundary disputes among the Northeastern states by August 15, 2022.
On the eve of the CM-level talks, BJP leader and Health Minister, AL Hek asserted that the meeting would mark a new dawn of cordial political relationship between the two neighbours resulting in resolution of the vexed interstate boundary row ahead of the 50th year of statehood.
“We are going to celebrate 50 years of statehood and 75 years of Independence. This dispute has to be resolved amicably; it cannot be resolved through hatred. Let us bury our egos and work out an amicable solution,” Hek added.
Hinting that there might be minor “give and take” which would be mutually beneficial for the people residing in the disputed area, he said, “The two governments are working towards a common goal.”
Hek also maintained that any decision on a “give and take policy” should have the endorsement of the border populace.
“It cannot be decided sitting in the Assam or Meghalaya Secretariat or the CM’s office. If we want to solve the dispute permanently we need to go to the ground,” he stressed.
Commenting on the suggestion of Opposition legislator, Ampareen Lyngdoh to form an all-party committee on interstate boundary dispute, Hek said, “An all-party committee is good suggestion. All political parties and leaders of the state have the same responsibility and goal; therefore everyone should be involved,” he said.
