SHILLONG, March 9: Congress members in the KHADC on Wednesday advised the house to adopt a resolution to urge the Meghalaya government that it cannot finalise the boundary dispute with Assam based on the MoU signed by the two states without the consent of the council and traditional bodies such as Raid and Hima.
“I am concerned over the way the state government continues to undermine the ADCs as an institution. The council was not involved when the MoU was finalised with the Assam government and submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs,” Opposition leader PN Syiem said while taking part in the motion moved by Congress MDC from Mawhati, Charles Marngar on Wednesday.
He said there is a fear that Meghalaya will lose its prime land to Assam because of the MoU.
Syiem said he had stressed in each meeting with the state government that the long-pending interstate boundary dispute should be resolved on the basis of the Assam Reorganisation Act, 1969, the North East Reorganisation Act, 1971, and the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution.
In his reply, KHADC CEM Titosstarwell Chyne said the Executive Committee has decided to convene a meeting of all the traditional heads to verify if they have given their consent to the state government to sign the MoU with Assam Government to resolve the interstate border dispute in six out of the 12 areas of differences taken up in the first phase.
While replying to the motion moved by Congress MDC from Mawhati, Charles Marngar on the second day of the Council budget session, KHADC CEM, Titosstar Well Chyne said that it would be better for the council to convene a meeting with the traditional heads to know if they have agreed upon to the MOU signed by the state government during the joint inspection of the border villages.
“May be they have given their consent that they want to go to Assam. We will write to the state government depending on the outcome of our meeting with the traditional heads to be convened shortly,” Chyne said.
Marngar had earlier slammed Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma for signing the MoU with his Assam counterpart without keeping the KHADC or traditional heads and stakeholders in the loop.
He said the state government does not have any power over the Elaka administration.
“It is the Rangbah Shnong, Syiem Raid or Syiem Hima that issues land patta (document). How the CM can sign the MoU without taking the traditional bodies into confidence? This is a blatant attempt of the government to disrespect and dilute the powers of the ADCs that have authority over the tribal land as per provisions in the Sixth Schedule,” he said.
In connection with the Khanapara-Pillangkata area, he recalled the CM having stated that parts of Pillangkata, Barapathar and Maikhuli will stay with Meghalaya while Assamese-inhabited areas of Khanapara and Dreamland Resort will go to Assam.
“How can areas within the same village fall under both Assam and Meghalaya? This is highly questionable,” Marngar said.
He said some areas in Khanapara such as Them Marwet, Transit Camp, Dreamland Resort, plain areas of Iongkhuli village, the entire stretch of plain areas under Hima Mylliem and plain areas of Pillangkata under Raid Marwet will now go to Assam.
Marngar said the CM had also stated that the ownership of land will not be affected irrespective of the administrative control by whichever state gets a particular area.
“Will the Assam government recognise documents issued by the council if the villages now fall under its jurisdiction? This MoU is silent on protecting the rights to the land of the people from the state whose land will now go to Assam,” he said.
He also stated that he will not be happy if 30 of the 36 villages remain with Meghalaya, as proudly announced by the CM, since it “could be an attempt to give prime land away”.
On Wednesday, the acting Syiem of Hima Mylliem, Ainam Manik Syiem said the state government has agreed to demarcate and hand over land to Assam falling under the traditional jurisdiction of the Raid Marwet of Hima Mylliem (Mylliem Syiemship) without consulting the Hima.
“The state has signed the MoU with Assam to give these territories without consultation and deliberation with the Hima Mylliem which has territorial authority as enshrined in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution,” Syiem said in a letter to Chyne.
He pointed out that the state government agreed to part with Them Marwet, Khanapara where the ASTC Transit Camp is located, but the area is under the Mylliem Syiemship. He also recalled that a case is pending with the Supreme Court on the matter of the transit camp.
The acting Syiem also stated that Paham Kynsho, Khanapara where Dreamland Resort is located, plains areas under Iongkhuli village, Raid Marwet, Hima Mylliem, the entire stretch of plains areas leading to Maikhuli ground of Raid Marwet, Hima Mylliem, the plains areas of Pillangkata of Raid Marwet, Hima Mylliem and the entire stretch of land in Barapathar, Raid Marwet – all belong to the Hima.