By Our Reporter
Shillong: Toughening its stand against border outposts set up by Assam Police on Meghalaya territory, the Hynniewtrep Achik National Movement (HANM) has served a one-month deadline on the State Government to remove all the police outposts.
The HANM took the decision on Thursday after the central executive committee held in the city.
“We have taken this decision since the State Government has failed to contain repeated encroachment by the Assam government into Meghalaya’s territory all along border areas,” HANM assistant general secretary Damonmi S Dkhar told reporters.
The organisation has alleged that the Assam government has illegally set up police outposts at Khanduli in Jaintia Hills, Umthna, Khanapara and Maikhuli-Pillingkata in Ri-Bhoi and Athiabari and Kyrshai in West Khasi Hills.
The HANM has also asked the State Government to immediately remove all the electric posts which were erected by the Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) at Khanduli recently.
They also condemned the Assam government for constructing a 35-km road from Lokhra village till Umthna village in Jirang, Ri Bhoi district and making attempts to set up a police outpost in that area. “The organisation has also decided to urge the State Government to appoint local tribals as deputy commissioners and superintendents of police as they have a better grasp of the problems faced by the local indigenous tribes residing in the border areas,” Dkhar informed.
In addition, the HANM has decided to organise public meetings in the district headquarters to make the local people aware of the demands put forward by the organisation to the government.
“If the government fails to do anything in this regard within the given stipulated time, we will be forced to resort to other steps as we cannot allow the Assam government to continue harassing our people,” Dkhar said.
The organisation also condemned Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi for rejecting the Meghalaya Government’s suggestion to press for the Centre’s intervention in the inter-state boundary dispute between the two states.
“If the Union Government trusts both the state governments to solve the boundary dispute between themselves then the issue will, forever, remain unresolved,” he added.
