NONGPOH, Aug 31: Vigour seems to be building in the collective call for inclusion of Khasi villages in Block-II along the interstate border in Meghalaya in the second phase of the crucial border talks between the Assam and Meghalaya governments.
Four more villages under Block-II in Ri-Bhoi district have expressed their wish to be part of Meghalaya, headmen of the respective villages told media persons here on Wednesday.
The Headmen of the four villages — Mawlen, Pantalu, Mawlen Orlongduri and Umshatri under the umbrella of Synjuk ki Saw Rangbah Shnong Shilliang Umiam — informed that all these villages are mostly inhabited by the Khasis, and they want to become a part of Meghalaya as they share the same cultural affinity, language, traditional governance and practices.
The headmen handed a memorandum to president of the Khasi Students’ Union North Khasi Hills District Unit (KSU-NKHDU), Ferdynald Kharkamni, seeking the Union’s intervention to press the Meghalaya government to take note of their demand.
It may be recalled that aforementioned villages identified as Mawlen, Pantalu, Mawlen Orlongduri and Umshatri were tagged as Mikir Hills during the regime of the composite Assam when the United Mikir and North Cachar Hills District was created in 1951.
The leaders of the four villages maintained that all 1,495 residents of these villages are Khasi, and that that they fall under the traditional governance of Raid Nongtung.
The heads of the villages said they were overjoyed on hearing that Assam and Meghalaya are initiating the second phase of border talks. Since the people’s will is one of the deciding factors, the villagers vented hopes of being part and parcel of Meghalaya.
Following the announcement, the residents of the four villages convened a joint meeting on August 26 and resolved to fight for the re-transfer of the four villages to Meghalaya.
President of KSU-NKHDU Ferdynald Kharkamni, on the other hand, said that the union will attempt to get an appointment with Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and take up the issue of these four disputed villages with him.
The union president also urged the Karbi Students’ Association (KSA) to refrain from interfering or attempt to influence the process of border settlement.
Calling for an understanding, Kharkamni asked the KSA to observe the process.
