SHILLONG:
The Karbi residents of Desh Doomreah, which is a disputed area between Meghalaya and Assam, on Monday said that they wanted to be part of the state.
Desh Doomreah which is currently under the administrative control of Assam is part of the Mylliem Syiemship.
On Monday, the members of the Amri Karbi National Council of Desh Doomreah, Amri Karbi Students Union met leaders of the Joint Action Committee on Border Areas of Meghalaya (JACBOM) in Shillong.
According to JACBOM president Erwin K Sutnga, the regional committees of Meghalaya and Assam which are scheduled to do a ground survey sometime in the month of August, the Karbi residents feel that this exercise will prejudice their rights and desire to come to Meghalaya.
Sutnga said that the regional committees of either Meghalaya or Assam have not included the Karbis of Desh Doomreah as members.
“They represent 85 per cent of the tribe residing there,” he said.
The Karbis and JACBOM have jointly demanded that leaders of the Amri Karbi National Council should be included in the regional committees.
Meanwhile, Rajiv Rongson, secretary of Amri Karbi Students’ Union, said that Desh Doomreah lies in the South Kamrup tribal belt where only tribes can purchase or sell lands.
“But today it is becoming the opposite. Other people come from different places and purchase lands,” Rongson said.
He said that due to this reason the percentage of tribals are becoming lesser.
He also said that in Desh Doomreah there are less Khasi there since many have changed surnames and are taking general category surnames to get benefits in terms of employment.
Rongson also said that he is not happy with the Assam government for not taking steps to protect the land rights of the tribals.
“We should control our land by self-governance. But today we are not availing such types of facilities,” he said.
According to him, the tribals in the South Kamrup tribal belt should have rights under Sixth Schedule.
“If Desh Doomreah is included in the Sixth Schedule area under Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council it will be better,” Rongson said.