Demand for inclusion of Khasi villages of Block-II in Meghalaya gains ground

NONGPOH, Aug 30: The Ri-Bhoi Youth Federation (RBYF) is determined to push for inclusion of all Khasi inhabited areas under Block-II in Meghalaya in the second phase of the border settlement between the governments of Meghalaya and Assam.
RBYF president Bipul Thangkhiew on Tuesday held a meeting with the headmen of Block-II in Ri-Bhoi District and reiterated their support to the Synjuk Ki Rangbah Shnong Raid Nongtung in their quest to get all Khasi villages back into Meghalaya.
Thangkhiew also made it clear that if the Conrad K Sangma government did not listen to the voice of the people of Block-II and their leaders, the Synjuk Ki Rangbah Shnong Raid Nongtung and RBYF along with other pressure groups will resort to protests.
He cautioned the government to refrain from committing the mistakes made during phase one of the border resolution process.
He recalled that during the border settlement process earlier, ministers and officials had visited Maikhuli village during the night without even informing the headman and locals.
Thangkhiew also questioned why the state government was not including members of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council in the regional committees whereas Assam had honoured the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council by including them in the regional committees in the second phase of border talks.
Thangkhiew also asked the government to intimate the headmen and villagers before conducting any visit for the purpose of border settlement.
President of Synjuk ki Rangbah Shnong Raid Nongtung, Blik Sohtun expressed surprise that during the meeting with the then Chief Minister Mukul Sangma in 2011, a presentation was made where all the Khasi inhabited villages of Raid Nongtung were included in Meghalaya, but when he had recently sought a map from the Political Department, it showed that only four villages were included in Meghalaya.
Sohtun also requested the CM to honour his commitment made during a meeting with headmen of Raid Nongtung that all Khasi inhabited villages will be included in Meghalaya.
On Tuesday, a rally was conducted from Patharkhmah playground to the market area where Hynniewtrep Youth Council members along with the public raised slogans against the MDA government for selling land belonging to the Raid and Himas of the state to Assam in the first phase of the border settlement.
Following the rally, a meeting was held at Patharkhmah market where HYC members demanded that the MoU be revisited and villages like Jimbrigoan and Lyngkhung brought back into Meghalaya.
They also alleged that the “five phased approach” of the MoU was mere political stunt and the CM did not even honour its own promise as stated in the MoU.