SHILLONG:
A day after Assam Police lathicharged the residents of two border villages in West Khasi Hills District, Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma, on May 25, said that he has spoken to his Assam counterpart, Himanta Biswa Sarma, and the latter has instructed the Assam Police to carry out an expeditious investigation on the matter.
“Last evening, I had a discussion with the Assam Chief Minister and he assured me that necessary instructions will be given to the superintendent of police and the district police to ensure this kind of an incident does not happen again,” said Conrad, speaking to the press post chairing a cabinet meeting.
The chief minister also asserted that now that the second phase of talks on the border dispute with neighbouring Assam is expected soon, such situations need to be handled with immense care.
“We need to show restraint. He (Sarma) was also concerned about this issue and has assured me that he will get the necessary action done. The police will be asked to maintain restraint, especially now that the discussion on the border issue is still on. Therefore, to avoid any kind of confusion or aggravation, such police action should be avoided,” he stated.
Earlier on May 24, two incidents of Assam police “brutality” were reported from Malang Huhapra and Mallangkona Salbari villages in West Khasi Hills District. While several people were injured after the Assam Police resorted to lathi charge against the residents of Malang Huhapra who were protesting against the arrest of two villagers, a team of police accompanied by the CRPF assaulted villagers in Mallangkona Salbari for carrying out construction work on what according to the personnel was “disputed land”.
The chief minister also informed that though regular discussions to initiate the second phase of border talks between the states are on with Sarma, both the chief ministers have been unable to zero in on a specific date for the dialogue.
“We have discussed and have been speaking to each other regularly but have not been able to set a time as there are too many issues that need addressing. Assam also has some elections coming up. So, once these are over, we will be able to initiate the second phase of the border talks,” he said.
The chief minister also reiterated that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the two states in the first phase of the border talks have been accepted by all the coalition partners in the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) and are “happy” with the agreement.
“I have always maintained that our coalition partners have always been with us on this. They have been part of the regional committees as well and have seen the circumstances under which we worked to formulate the MoU. They know the facts and figures how we have moved ahead and they are quite happy with the MoU,” he said.
The chief minister was reacting to allegations leveled by the leader of opposition Mukul Sangma saying that the coalition partners in MDA were “silenced” from voicing their resentment against the MoU. “Whether they were ‘silenced’ or wholeheartedly agreed to it, he (Mukul) wouldn’t know as he wasn’t in the meeting. So, that’s okay,” said Conrad, maintaining yet again that revision of the border MoU is out of question.
“We have gone ahead with the agreement. But I would like to meet those who are opposing the MoU,” he said.