SHILLONG, April 5: Sports and Youth Affairs Minister, Banteidor Lyngdoh on Tuesday said it is imperative that the state government re-examine its MoU with Assam if it has left some sections of people on the interstate border anguished.
He told reporters that he will talk to Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma and Deputy CM, Prestone Tynsong if there is a need to revisit the agreement in some areas.
“We need to have our own boundaries but at the same time, we can also revisit if there are areas where people are not happy,” Lyngdoh, who is also the People’s Democratic Front chief, said.
He said the next phase of negotiations on the remaining six areas of differences would be more difficult.
“I had toured Block I and Block II areas extensively. I understand the expectations and sentiments of the people of these areas,” he said, adding incidents of skirmishes can be thwarted through the resolution of the disputes in all areas.
Meanwhile, Lyngdoh said he is not a coward that he will be afraid of doing things which are in the best interest of the people and the state.
“Why should I be afraid if my political opponent makes the boundary agreement election propaganda? The citizens at large know the government is doing the right thing by trying to resolve the long-pending boundary dispute once and for all,” he said.
He said the signing of the MoU on the first six areas is an achievement as no government in the past dared to move this far. This is a bold step taken by the MDA government in the interest of the people residing in border villages, he said.
“I acknowledge that it is impossible to make everyone happy while taking such a major decision. These are bold steps taken by the present government. If we are not ready to take some hard decisions, then this issue will continue to linger even for the next 50 years,” Lyngdoh said.
He said the government feels it is an appropriate time for Meghalaya to have its own boundaries as it is celebrating 50 years of statehood.
He further said the signing of the MoU was possible due to the close coordination among Meghalaya, Assam and central governments. He said it is unfortunate the Congress failed to resolve the issue despite ruling in both the states and the Centre for so many years.
Meanwhile, HSPDP president, KP Pangniang on Tuesday stuck to his statement and reiterated that he had made no mistake in saying that the 12 areas of differences were not part of Meghalaya.
Stating that three sets of maps are being used in the state, Pangniang said besides the map issued by GSI, another map is being used in the Secretariat while a third one was issued by the Revenue and Disaster Management department.
Referring to the map published in 2009, Pangniang said, “Even in the map being used by the Election department, there is no mention of the 12 areas of difference and the disputed areas are excluded. Therefore, there is a need to redraw the map as stated by Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma,” the HSPDP president said.
He recalled that the HSPDP had publicly burnt the map published in 2009 during a public meeting at Nongstoin market in 2010.
The HSPDP president reminded that the party, since the inception of the state in 1972, had opposed the decision to give Meghalaya its own state without proper boundaries.
Pangniang also recalled that he has raised this issue in the Assembly in 2017 when Prof RC Laloo was the former Minister of Revenue and Disaster Management.