SHILLONG, May 1: Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) legislator from North Shillong, Adelbert Nongrum has asked the government to not go ahead with the second phase of the interstate boundary dispute-resolving process until the lacunae in the first phase are sorted out.
“We found lacunae in the six areas of dispute. We can go ahead in some parts with no problem but the issues in some parts need reviewing,” he said, asking the government to “show guts” for revisiting the first phase areas.
Nongrum appreciated the efforts of the state government of which he is a part, but said the unsatisfactory parts of the boundary deal need to be reviewed before it is placed in Parliament.
Stating that land once gone cannot be retrieved, he said: “I do not believe we should go ahead with the remaining six areas until the problems of the first phase are sorted out.” When pointed out that both Assam and Meghalaya ruled out revisiting, he said withdrawing support from the government may not be the way to go forward.
He said he had joined the government to address long-pending issues and the border dispute has been a top priority. “Time will tell if the support is withdrawn,” he added.
Nongrum advocated setting up police outposts in the disputed sectors to instil a sense of security among the people who want to be in Meghalaya.
