GUWAHATI, Feb 10: Members of the Garo Students’ Union (Assam state zone) along with representatives from the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and three other students’ bodies, visited tribal-inhabited villages under four areas of difference – Hahim, Gizang, Boklapara and Khanapara-Pillangkata sectors – recently and interacted with the border villagers.
The other organisations that visited the areas on February 6 and 8 included All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU), All Rabha Students’ Union (ARSU) and All Assam Gorkha Students’ Union (AAGSU).
The visit comes at a time when Assam and Meghalaya have more or less resolved their differences in six “relatively less complicated” areas out of the 12 disputed areas.
The proposals of the respective regional committees on the six areas are being currently examined by the Centre.
On Sunday, the unions met people of Athiabari, Chutia Bazar, Hahim, Salbari, Malchapara, Gohanimara and Amagaon near the interstate border in Kamrup (Rural) district.
“These villages lie in the Hahim and Gizang sectors under Kamrup district. Athiabari, Gohanimara and Amagaon are inhabited by the Garo community which strongly favours merging their areas with Meghalaya. However Garos living in Hahim, Chutia Bazar, Salbari and Malchapara villages have expressed their willingness to remain in Assam,” GSU (Assam state zone) chief adviser, Tharsush K Sangma told The Shillong Times here on Thursday.
“The Garo residents of Hahim, Chutia Bazar, Salbari and Malchapara are apprehensive that they would lose their rights on land and the right to contest/take part in the district autonomous council elections. Therefore, they want their villages to remain within the boundary of Assam,” Sangma said.
The GSU state executive leaders along with the GSU Kamrup district zone leaders were part of the visiting delegation.
On Tuesday, GSU members along with those of the four students’ unions visited the tribal inhabited villages lying under Boklapara of West Guwahati and Khanapara-Pillangkata sectors in Kamrup (Metro) and inspected the border villages in either state.
“In these two sectors also, people expressed mixed opinions even as the Garo people preferred to remain with Meghalaya. With some Garo villages lying along the border strongly favouring a merger of their villages with Meghalaya, the GSU leaders too have to yield to their strong decision,” Sangma said.