NONGPOH:
While the “historic” agreement was getting signed between the chief ministers of Meghalaya and Assam in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Tuesday, back in Ri Bhoi, All India Trinamool Congress (AITC)Rangsakona legislator Zenith Sangma, during a public meeting in Maikhuli, was criticising Conrad Sangma for not taking the consent of the stakeholders of the area before drafting the MoU.
“The chief minister misled the House during the assembly session, because at ground zero none of the local people wants to be in Assam, but Conrad said that the MoU has been signed after taking the consent of the people, which is not the case,” Zenith said, addressing the meeting.
The chief minister, however, has been reiterating that the regional committees did consider the “will” of the people residing in the border areas before making their recommendation on the six areas of dispute between the two states.
Zenith also added that, post the signing of the MoU some parts of the Maikhuli village – the fisheries – have gone to Assam and the people residing in the area do not want that.
He also claimed that by reaching the deal, the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government has “succumbed to the pressure from Assam, and gave away lands to the neighbouring state that belong to Meghalaya”. Zenith and some of his supporters also visited nearby villages like Iongkhuli, Maiong and Barapathar.
Highlighting their plight, some villagers said that irrespective of the MoU, they will defend every inch of their land from going to Assam.
“Most of our land are encroached by people of Assam. While my father was still alive, we gave a stone crusher on lease to some people from Assam and after the agreement expired, they had stopped work. But last Sunday, they came and measured the area claiming the land belongs to them,” said Digita Marak from Maiong.
The people living in the areas, including the Khasis (Marwet), Garos, Boros, Nepalis, Nagas and others, have said that they feel safe in Meghalaya and want to remain in the state.
A local, Ringkumani Marak, said, “We don’t want an inch of our land to be transferred to Assam. All the tribes have been staying together in perfect harmony in the area and we want that to continue.”