SHILLONG, Nov 16: The joint visit by the chief ministers of Meghalaya and Assam to Langpih on Tuesday for resolving the interstate boundary dispute has evoked a mixed response.
The ruling dispensation termed it as a red-letter day while the Opposition Congress raised concerns over the “haste” in dealing with the long-pending issue.
“It is a big day for the citizens as the CMs of both the states have jointly inspected Langpih. It shows the kind of mutual respect and sincerity shown by the two states to resolve this issue,” NPP national general secretary and Health Minister, James PK Sangma said.
He said resolving the issue will still take some time but “I see it as a positive step and we expect more positive things in the future”.
The NPP’s allies were also optimistic about a positive outcome from the joint visit.
But a not-so-optimistic Congress saw the joint visit as a hasty move for a solution that might have multiple ramifications.
“The urgency with which the two states are trying to quickly resolve the vexed interstate boundary issues is something that concerns everyone,” Congress leader Ampareen Lyngdoh said.
Stating that Meghalaya has nothing to give to or take from Assam, she said: “A few of our party men who were members of the West (Khasi Hills) committee had after the last visit said many things remained unresolved. When this committee has not concluded its findings and made them public, what is the urgency of the two heads of state to visit the location?”
Wondering whether or not Meghalaya has been given sufficient time to build its dossier for claiming its territory along the boundary as inherited in 1972, she said Congress leaders were aware of the complicated issue by virtue of being in the government.
Lyngdoh pointed out that both the Meghalaya and the Assam governments were not happy with the Survey of India’s presentations through various boundary commissions.
She also wondered if the Autonomous District Council had been kept in the loop on issues pertaining to the boundary. “We were in a programme with the Chief Executive Member, and he seemed unaware of the Chief Minister’s travel to the border,” she said.
The Congress leader advised the state government not to rush it and said one should “leave politics out” by sparing Congress the blame of sitting on the boundary issue for years.
“We should stop the blame game to ensure that our state gets the boundary our forefathers had fought for,” she said.
