From Our Correspondent
JOWAI, April 21: The Hynñiewtrep Border Dispute Redressal Forum has expressed hope that the border settlement between Meghalaya and Assam will finally restore justice to the Khasi-Pnar people of Block-I and Block-II, whose ancestral lands were allegedly tagged to Assam in 1951.
Marking 13 April as a ‘Sad Day’ for the people of these disputed areas, Forum chairman, Chandame Sungoh, recalled that it was on this day in 1951 when the then Assam Government demarcated parts of Labang Nangphyllut Dolloiship (Block-I) and Raid Nangtung Khyrwang (Block-II) to the then United Cachar and Mikir Hills, now under the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council of Assam.
Sungoh stated that this act of boundary demarcation was carried out without the knowledge, consent, or consultation of the Khasi-Pnar people—original inhabitants and traditional custodians of the land.
Condemning the move as an act of injustice that deprived the people of their rightful land and identity, Sungoh said the people of Block-I and II continue to struggle for the re-transfer and re-unification of their lands with Meghalaya.
Meanwhile, the Forum has asserted that it remains firm in its opposition to the 1951 decision and called on the governments of both states to ensure that the current border talks lead to a resolution that honours the history, identity and rights of the indigenous communities.
With border settlement talks underway between the states of Meghalaya and Assam, the Forum urged both the governments to correct the historical wrong and reunite the displaced territories with Meghalaya.