SHILLONG, April 6: The Hynniewtrep Border Dispute Redressal Forum (HBDRF) on Thursday urged Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) FR Kharkongor to include the residents of 42 Khasi, Karbi and Nepalese villages along the inter-state border in the electoral rolls of Meghalaya.
Twenty-five of these villages are inhabited by the Khasis. They are Nongirong, Moorap, Mynniah, Madanmyn-I, Mooriap, Syrlong, Laher, Umsalait, Mynju, Bandein, Mooknor, Khyndeliar, Phie-Phie, Phlang, Arbon, Lamarang, Deinler, Thangrong, Moolain, Moobhar (Moojem), Sapiang (Moojem), Chnongthymm, Moopud, Lum Moojem and Madan Nangkylla.
The 14 Karbi villages are Rtiang Sanphaw, Tadolangso (Stong Lapar), Langkumwei, Langhemphi, Rongpangbong, Umbaso, Kroo Arong (Chnongkroo), Chenan Cherop, Tahpat, Wanpung, Samatan (Rongkhelan), Umkhymmi, Mookoilum, Moothade, Tibin and Inghinlangso.
Moorawi, Khloolaphiang and Umpawiang are the three Nepalese villages.
“It is seen that till today, all the villages which fall under the Block II area (Raid Nangtung) have been included in the electoral rolls of Meghalaya irrespective of the dispute with Assam. Similarly, the villages falling under the Block l area should be included in the electoral rolls of Meghalaya,” HBDRF chairman Chandame Sungoh said.
He said the people of these 42 villages have enrolled themselves in areas within Meghalaya such as Siatsama, Khanduli, Barato, Mukroh, Sahsniang, and Mowkaiaw.
“The CEO told us that these villagers can be enrolled in the state’s electoral rolls,” he said.
“We will now go to these villages, beginning with Mooriap on April 15, to tell the people to be ready with their documents so that they can be included in the Meghalaya electoral rolls by mentioning the villages they live in,” Sungoh said.
Members of the HBDRF will work closely with the Election department in case some villagers are rejected.
Sungoh said 30 per cent of the villagers who enrolled themselves in Assam now want to be on the voters’ list of Meghalaya.
“These villagers had boycotted the last elections to the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council,” he said.
KHNAM vice president Thomas Passah requested the villagers to mention the names of their villages when filling out form 6A for enrolment in the electoral rolls.
This is very important to prove that they are residents of Meghalaya and also to prove their ownership over the land, he said.
“We are all aware that the dialogue to resolve the interstate boundary between Meghalaya and Assam is still on,” he added.
