SHILLONG:
Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, on March 25, said that the “give and take” policy is the best way forward to resolve the vexed border row with neighbouring Assam, despite a few sections of people opposing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Meghalaya and Assam to resolve 6 out of the 12 areas of difference.
“Going by the ground realities of the border areas, a middle path has to be followed. We cannot avoid some plus and minus. But none of the states should bear the brunt alone in our pursuit of a solution to the issue,” he said, adding that the people, especially the stakeholders, must understand that.
Prestone, however, admitted that there are certain sections of people in the state who don’t want the decades-old boundary dispute to be resolved.
“I am scared as it seems some sections of the people don’t want a solution,” Tynsong said, referring to recent protests in some parts of the state against the MoU, and added that the majority of the people, however, want a solution to the issue that has been lingering on for the past 50 years.
“We are firm in resolving this issue otherwise it will continue again for another 50 years. And if that happens, the next generation will not forgive us. So, I think we have to accept the reality. Enough is enough, let us take a stand and solve it once and for all,” he said.
Stating that a joint survey has to be carried out by the Survey of India, the deputy chief minister, however, said, “Until and unless the decision is taken at the highest level, I cannot say anything about that right now. Let us see on March 29, how the meeting with the Union Home Minister turns out.”