Those who know Mukroh also know that the Forest Beat Office of the Assam Government is constructed well within Meghalaya’s territory. The pertinent question is how was Assam allowed to have its administrative units within Meghalaya? Why was this not pointed out at the time when the Forest Beat Office was being set up? Why this lackadaisical attitude by successive governments of Meghalaya and by those who represented Mookaiaw constituency in the past? This has been the problem of Meghalaya – that MLAs are not briefed about the plight of their constituents because they don’t live in the distant villages and only visit those villages occasionally.
Now that Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has assured that the Forest Beat House would not be allowed to be reconstructed if it is within Meghalaya’s territory and that talks are going on with the Assam Chief Minister on this matter it remains to be seen how far the neighbouring state actually adheres to its commitment. Informal conversations between two Chief Ministers do not mean much because those conversations are privy only to the two personalities. Any talks on the border issue and not just Mukroh must involve the cabinet ministers and the MLAs, MDCs and the traditional heads of the area. The two states are governed by two different sets of frameworks. Whereas in Assam the Chief Minister has the last word on any and all issues including that of the Councils. It is unheard of that the District Councils in Assam and the State Government have ever had a run-in on any issue. Such is not the case with Meghalaya with multiple tiers of governance which can often be a stumbling block when it comes to project execution. Add to these multiple tiers of governance other actors that put constant pressure on government even when development projects such as bringing the railway line to Byrnihat for instance, are sought to be implemented.
It is for the first time that some progress has been made on the border issue even if there are allegations that Meghalaya has lost much land especially in areas in the Garo Hills bordering Assam and also in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills. What is of concern is that the people of Mukroh live in constant fear of another attack from Assam Police who had the audacity to come right Mukroh village to shoot down villagers at close range. While the reconstruction of the scene that occurred on November 22 is marked by a certain opacity and the enquiry is ongoing, the fear of the people of Mukroh is palpable because their farmlands lie in areas claimed by the West Karbi Anglong District Council. This is a matter that the Chief Minister should be seized of.
