NONGPOH:
The tension between the Khasi and Nepali communities residing in the disputed border area of Block-II in Ri Bhoi District has led to the formation of a Peace Committee to make reconciliation between them and maintain peace in the area.
This was decided in a meeting between the headmen of the Khasi and Nepali community held at Sabuda, on April 20. At the meeting rangbah shnong of Mawlasnai, Joplin Sten was chosen as chairman and Gyan Bahadur Chettri, rangbah shnong Umru-2 Assam, was made the general secretary of the committee.
Apart from them, five members each from Meghalaya and Assam will also be selected to be part of the committee.
The formation of the peace committee comes in the wake of an incidence of violence in Sabuda village where, on the night of April 1, a mob had allegedly assaulted three youths escalating tension between the two communities. To avoid such conflict amidst negotiations between Meghalaya and Assam governments to resolve the decades-old border dispute, the two communities decided to form the committee.
After the meeting, the members of the committee met with the deputy commissioners of Ri Bhoi, Arpit Upadhyay, and West Karbi Anglong, Krisna Barua to apprise them of the decision.
Both the deputy commissioners accepted the resolution and decided to lift the seizure order related to communication between the people of the two states residing in that area.
The gathering was also attended by Sadon Blah, president Hynniewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF), Bipul Thangkhiew, president Ri Bhoi Youth Federation (RBYF) from Meghalaya, and the leader of the Karbi Students Association from Assam.