SHILLONG, April 12: Pushed against the wall and with no concrete solution in sight, headmen of seven disputed villages said they have been betrayed by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma.
They were upset with their inability to meet the Chief Minister on Tuesday.
The headmen of Maikhuli, Iongkhuli, Patharkuchi, Maiong and Pahamkoncha villages in the Ri-Bhoi district and two others from villages under Jirang in the West Khasi Hills district had come to the Secretariat to meet Sangma.
“We had taken an appointment but were initially not allowed to enter the gate. Later, as we waited outside his room, we were told he has a meeting. Then we were told he cannot meet us,” Maikhuli headman Kleden Sangma said.
Disappointed with the outcome of their efforts to meet the Chief Minister, he said: “He has betrayed us. We will do what we have to, be it protest or go to Supreme Court. We will keep questioning a deal that keeps us out of a Sixth Schedule area.”
The headman said the memorandum of understanding signed between the Assam and Meghalaya governments has to be revoked as it was done without their knowledge and willingness.
His Patharkuchi counterpart, Dharani Patar lamented the “snub” from the Chief Minister.
“We had expressed our willingness to be a part of Meghalaya and had provided relevant documents but to no avail. Assam is now taking our land,” he said.
The CM should have given time to the headmen who had come from far-off places, he added.
“We are sad that they want us to be in Assam, sadder that we did not get to speak to the CM to do something about it,” Iongkhuli headmen Minen Marak said.
The CM denied having given the headmen any appointment. “It is difficult for me to meet everybody but I will give time if they seek an official appointment,” he said.
Members of a few pressure groups and the Meghalaya Pradesh Youth Congress showed up at the secretariat to extend support to the headmen.
