SHILLONG/KILLING, July 27: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has urged his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma to maintain peace along the interstate border as tension prevailed in Ri-Bhoi district’s Iongkhuli village after the Assam Police removed electric poles installed by the MeECL there.
Speaking to media persons here on Tuesday, Sangma said that the Assam CM reciprocated and had on Monday issued instructions for maintaining peace in that area.
He said that as boundary-related discussions are already on, there is no need to create or escalate tension between the two states. He has also asked the Jirang MLA, Sosthenes Sohtun to visit ground zero and assess the situation.
“Both the governments of Assam and Meghalaya are communicating with each other,” Sangma added.
He said that depending on the outcome of the border talks with Assam, the Meghalaya government will finalise more locations for police stations to be set up.
The state government had, earlier, finalised a few locations along the interstate border where police outposts would be set up.
Sangma also said the government will go ahead with the construction of new police stations in undisputed areas very much within the boundary of Meghalaya.
Opposition Chief Whip, PT Sawkmie urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to call the chief ministers of the three states – Meghalaya, Assam and Mizoram – to discuss the border disputes at length.
He also said that the situation in these three states is very sensitive and it was imperative that the Ministry of Home Affairs intervenes in the matter.
Asserting that the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance has failed to bring any unity among the leaders of constituent political parties, Sawkmie condemned the highhandedness of the Assam Police at Iongkhuli village. “The village belongs to Meghalaya,” he said.
Large presence of Assam Police personnel
A large number of Assam Police personnel continued to be deployed at Iongkhuli village a day after the incident over the electric poles.
Locals, mostly from the Garo community, were seen engaging in heated arguments with Assam Police personnel who claimed that the land where the electric poles were uprooted belongs to Assam. But they could not provide any documentary evidence when asked.
The angry villagers calmed down after the intervention of a Ri Bhoi District Congress Committee (RBDCC) team led by its president and Nongpoh MLA Mayralborn Syiem, vice-president and Umroi MLA George B. Lyngdoh inspected at the incident site.
As Assam officials and cops continued to threaten the locals with dire consequences, a heated argument between the RBDCC leaders and the Assam officials broke out.The Congress leaders requested the Assam officials to withdraw their forces from the area as it will create fear and anger amongst the local residents of Iongkhuli village. The Assam officials agreed and the situation was brought under control.
The inspection of the RBDCC leaders attained significance after Congress MDC from Mawhati, Charles Marngar was allegedly manhandled by the Assam police personnel during Monday’s face-off.
Speaking to reporters, Syiem condemned the actions of the Assam government and claimed that the area (incident site) is a scheduled land belonging to Raid Marwet and Hima Mylliem of Meghalaya under the jurisdiction of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council.
“This area falls under Meghalaya. I am quite shocked to learn that the Assam government intruded into the state. The Meghalaya Government should take a serious note of this incident and act accordingly to protect the borders as well as bring back peace and normalcy in the area,” he said.
He also said that as leaders, they do not want to create law and order problems. The objective of their inspection, he added, is to get the facts from the villagers as well as to ensure peace.
The RBDCC leaders also said Congress will continue to put pressure on the MDA government to permanently resolve the border issue with Assam as soon as possible.
The two MLAs also wrote to the chief minister, DGP and the Chief Secretary demanding institution of an official inquiry headed by an officer of the rank of Commissioner and Secretary on the violation of the Land Transfer Act in Iongkhuli village and also to ascertain the ground realities.
They also demanded that an officer, not below the rank of Additional Chief Secretary, should visit the area to ensure that the MeECL electrification scheme is completed without any obstacle.
