SHILLONG, Aug 5: The regional committee on border dispute for West Khasi Hills has revealed that majority of the border residents along the disputed territories in the district were keen to be with Meghalaya but there were some villagers who expressed their desire to be with Assam.
Speaking about their visit to the border areas on Wednesday, HSPDP chief, KP Pangniang said, “Many headmen and elders of the area met us and while many of them want be part and parcel of Meghalaya. But we cannot deny the fact that there are some villages in four sectors which seem to be comfortable staying with Assam.”
He reasoned that in the last 50 years of unsettlement, the residents of the disputed areas have been engaging with both Meghalaya and Assam for day to day administration and development work.
Enquired how many villages was willing to be part of Assam, Pangniang said, “I cannot say exactly how many villages want to stay in Assam, but according to our observation some are happy to be in Assam while a majority want to be in Meghalaya”.
Asked if the proposed give and take policy would be a suitable option to resolve the dispute, Pangniang refused to reply saying that the matter has to be discussed at a bigger platform.
Meanwhile, speaking about the second round of CM-level talks to be held in Guwahati on Friday, the HSPDP chief said, “This meeting signals that they have a positive mindset to settle it amicably and I hope good suggestions will emerge which will be acceptable to both the states.”
“I believe the talks will also clear the obstacles, one at a time, that has kept the interstate boundary row unresolved for decades,” he observed. On the eve of the border talks between the two chief ministers, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Thursday held a meeting of the regional committee on border dispute of Ri Bhoi at Nongpoh to discuss the long-pending issue.
Beside the Deputy Chief Minister, the meeting was also attended by Nongpoh MLA Mayralborn Syiem, Jirang MLA Sosthenes Sohtun, Mawhati MLA Dasakhiatbha Lamare, all MDCs from Ri Bhoi, traditional head of Raid Marwet, Hima Jirang and Raid Nongtung and the BDOs of all C&RD Blocks of Ri Bhoi and officers from the district administration.
Talking to media persons after the meeting, Tynsong said that the meeting was convened to discuss the border related disputes of Ri Bhoi with Assam before the two chief ministers hold the second round of talks in Guwahati on Friday.
He also said that a unanimous decision has been taken to further strengthen the claims over lands belonging to Meghalaya in the border areas by directing the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, the traditional heads, the village leaders as well as the citizens of the state to provide to the government all the required papers and land documents to justify their claims over the disputed areas.
He also stated that all the papers and land documents received thereof, will act as evidence and will be forwarded to the government to cement the state’s claims.
“The Government of Meghalaya will not allow even a single inch of land to go to Assam and we do not even want an inch from Assam,” Tynsong said.
Tynsong also said that the meeting laid special focus on the border disputes with regard to areas falling under Khanapara, Pilingkata, Umtyrnga and Bakhlapara, whereas border issues concerning Block II will be thoroughly discuss in the next meeting of the committee.
Further, with regards to the claims by the Assam Government that parts of Iongkhuli village belong to them, Tynsong reiterated that Iongkhuli is a part and parcel of Meghalaya.
“Iongkhuli does not fall under the 12 areas of differences between Assam and Meghalaya and this issue will be raised during the border talks with the Chief Minister of Assam on Friday,” he added.
