SHILLONG, Dec 16: The Congress is livid that it was not invited by the government to Wednesday’s all-party meeting that discussed the “interstate border talks”.
“There is no clarity as regards the invitation to attend the all-party meeting. No staff in the Congress received this important letter and the receipt of dak of the Political Department indicates the letter was received on December 15, likely after the meeting was over,” Congress Legislature Party leader, Ampareen Lyngdoh said on Thursday.
According to her, this is not the first time that the Congress was sidelined in a decision-making process on the issue. Not very long ago, she said Congress members in the regional committee on interstate border were not informed of a crucial meeting held at Langpih.
The Congress leader said the party MLA and MDC of Rambrai-Jyrngam, who gate-crashed the talks, had received their invite a day after the meeting was over.
“It is misleading to project to the people of Meghalaya that the Congress did not attend the important border talks. We express our complete shock and disbelief that the government once again failed to invite us to these decisive discussions. We place on record our demand for an inclusive dialogue at the earliest, prior to the government taking any decision on the matter,” Lyngdoh said.
According to her, the Congress has a clear opinion on the solution to this protracted issue. She insisted that the government allow the party to place its views before the Border Commission and then, record them as per procedure. “It is also our opinion that as regards matters related to border talks, it should be ensured that all stakeholders agree on a common approach without politicising the subject,” she said.
As elected members, it will be prudent to also initiate a similar dialogue at the level of the Chief Minister in the presence of the Speaker. The Congress will pursue the matter with utmost dedication and sincerity, Lyngdoh said.
“We request the Chief Minister to review the December 15 meeting and insert into its minutes that the Congress did not receive necessary communication and hence, was absent from the crucial talks,” she said even as she expressed optimism the CM will re-convene the all-party meeting.
Congress MLA, PT Sawkmie asked the government to place the recommendations of the regional committees before the Assembly.
He said the government convened a meeting with the stakeholders to discuss the boundary dispute but the findings of the committees were not shared with anybody.
“The reports must be placed in the House so that the issue can be discussed in details and suggestions taken before the government takes up the matter with Assam,” he said.
Lamenting that the Congress was not invited to the all-party meeting, Sawkmie said, “We thought this is an MDA meeting as only the political parties supporting the government were invited. It seems the government is ignoring us on the matter.”
He reiterated the government must pursue the border talks based on the documentation available with the state and by taking the people of border areas into consideration.
EJH panel to meet before submitting report
While the state government has already held a consultative meeting with the stakeholders on resolving the interstate boundary dispute in six identified areas after submission of the reports by the West Khasi Hills and Ri-Bhoi regional committees, it is unclear as to how much more time the East Jaintia Hills panel will take to submit its report.
“The committee have already completed its exercise but the issue here is that we have to sit once before submitting the report to the CM. We are hoping that both the committees from Assam and Meghalaya will submit a single agenda so that it will be easier for the CMs of the two states to take necessary decision,” Home Minister and member of the East Jaintia Hills regional committee, Lahkmen Rymbui said on Thursday.
Rymbui said that there is confusion between the two states over the ownership of a reserved forest area that includes Ratacherra.
He made it clear that there is no dispute between residents of both the state but only confusion between the two states in this particular area.
