SHILLONG, March 12: The Hynniewtrep Achik National Movement (HANM), members on Saturday dumped the boundary pillars from Umshru village that was erected by Assam government infront of the Secretariat and the office of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC).
Led by its president Lam Kharbani, the organisation uprooted the pillars from the village in Ri Bhoi district bordering Assam and brought them to Shillong.
The HANM members demped pieces of the pillars at the gate of the Secretariat and at the office of the KHADC. Both the offices were closed as it was Saturday.
The activists also shouted slogans condemning the State government and KHADC for their failure to protect their territorial boundary.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and his cabinet colleagues were not present in the Secretariat during the protest.
The security guards immediately locked the gates to prevent the activists from entering the Secretariat premises.
However, the HANM activists led by their president entered KHADC premises and threw boundary pillars infront of the main entrance of the Council’s office.
“We are dumping the boundary pillars illegally erected by Survey of Assam infront of the secretariat and KHADC office to voice our concerns on Assam encroaching our land”, Kharbani said.
He further questioned, ‘How can the Survey of Assam erect boundary pillars in Umshru village when both the states have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to resolve the boundary disputes?
The MoU signed between Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma is being examine by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
The HANM president was critical of the KHADC for its failure to protect the territorial boundary of the state.
(With inputs from UNI)