SHILLONG:
Amidst allegations that the regional committee of Ri Bhoi district led by deputy chief minister didn’t do its job properly before submitting its report for the drafting of the now-signed “historic” memorandum of understanding (MoU) to resolve the Meghalaya-Assam border dispute, Prestone Tyngsong urged the stakeholders to accept the agreement, saying failing to do so will stretch the issue for another 50 years.
“I would request and appeal to all the stakeholders to accept one reality and that is, if we don’t resolve this border issue today, we won’t be able to resolve it in the next 50 years,” he said, on April 4.
Tyngsong’s statement came in the wake of various protests dotting the district against the MoU with certain stakeholders threatening to move the Supreme Court if their demand for a review of the signed document is not met.
“It wasn’t easy for us to be on the ground and record the consent of the people as some sections of the people wanted to be with Meghalaya and others wanted to be in Assam. Ultimately, after doing due diligence, we signed the MoU,” he said.
Reiterating that the regional committee visited all border areas in the district before submitting its report, Tyngsong said that people have to realise the “spirit of the understanding” between the two governments, which, he said, is to sit across in a negotiation table and arrive at a concreate resolution.
“When there is a difference or any dispute, we have to have the spirit to sit down across the table and make adjustments. You cannot say 100 per cent is Assam’s or 100 per cent will come to Meghalaya. Some adjustment have to be made, and we did that,” said the deputy chief minister.
Speaking of Maikhuli village in the Pillangkata- Khanapara area of the Assam-Meghalaya border, where people have been up in arms against the handing over of a fishery to Assam, threatening to move the Supreme Court against the MoU, Tyngsong said that they have been “misled”.
“If you are concern only about a fish pond, which is not even 25,000 sq ft, how do we resolve the (border) problem. The graveyard, which has come to Meghalaya as per the MoU, has been with the people of Assam for the last 15-20 years and we, despite owning it before, were unable to use it. Now it is with us and the area of it is not less than 8 acres,” said Tynsong.
Appealing the stakeholders not to underestimate the crisis and the hard work done by both Meghalaya and Assam, Tyngsong said, “These protests against the MoU are not specific to Meghalaya alone both the governments are facing it. Both the chief ministers, their respective ministers and the local MLas are in constant pressure from the local people all along the six areas of differences.”
He, however, said that the Jatalong village incident of April 2, where two people were injured following a clash between two groups, was a “personal issue” between the two groups and requested the various NGOs not to give it the colour of a border clash.
Terming the Jatalong incident a personal issue of the two groups, Tynsong also requested the NGOs “please don’t create this issue as a public issue as if you go deep down you will know the truth and the truth is personal.”
“So, I would like to request people from both the sides not to create unnecessary situations because very soon we are going to start even the second phase of the border talks where six remaining areas in the Meghalaya will be taken up by both the governments,” he stated.