GUWAHATI:
At least 47 Garo residents of Upper Tarabati village, who were chased out by their fellow villagers for wanting to stay with Assam even though it will fall in Meghalaya once the border MoU is implemented, will be rehabilitated peacefully in their native village from Thursday, Kamrup deputy commissioner Kailash Karthik N said on Wednesday.
A peace committee was formed at Upper Tarabari at the initiative of Assam Police and the Meghalaya administration after a joint visit to the village on Wednesday.
“The peace committee will take the initiative to rehabilitate the people to their village peacefully. They will also monitor the situation so that no such incident can occur in future,” said Diwas Bordoloi, circle officer, Boko Revenue Circle.
The peace committee is headed by Luwin Marak as president, Rottal Sangma as secretary while other members are Marjan Sangma, Lingbat Marak, Barminton Sangma and Kraison Marak.
“This peace committee will handle all border issues in Upper Tarabari area and they will be supervised by both Assam and Meghalaya administrations,” Bordoloi said.
A joint team of Assam and Meghalaya comprising Diwas Bordoloi, Boko Police Station officer-in-charge Phanindra Nath, Hahim police outpost in-charge Bikram Basumatary, in-charge of Malangkona police outpost (West Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya) SI Goalon K Sangma and leaders of All Rabha Students Union (ARSU) and CRPF personnel arrived at Upper Tarabari and held a meeting with the villagers at the playground.
The meeting was also attended by people from Watre Rongchang, Balsrik and Walkam of Upper Tarabari area.
Goalon K Sangma urged the people to maintain peace and tranquillity so that such incidents are not repeated.
However, Meghalaya supporters demanded that Assam Police release three persons, who have been arrested for alleged extortion from Assam supporters.
In this regard, Boko OC said that arrangements will be made to release them as per the provision of law.
Meanwhile, Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC) executive members Sumit Rabha, Panchami Rabha and Frylin R. Marak distributed clothes and other necessary commodities to the people who stay in the camp at Jarihat.
Jarihat ARSU secretary Barun Rabha urged the state government to settle the border issue as soon as possible otherwise such fratricidal clashes will continue in these areas.
A delegation of GNC visited Jarihat, where the 47 villagers (not 45 families as reported earlier) have been taking shelter since Monday night.
“There is no question of merger with Meghalaya. We are residents of Assam, we have been here since the time of our forefathers. We do not opt to stay with Meghalaya,” said Enindra U Marak, president, Garo National Council (GNC), Assam.
“We want to send them back to their village. If such things happen further we the entire Garo society will move to the place of occurrence to register our protest,” Marak said.
“We will also meet both the chief ministers and submit a memorandum to them in this regard,” Marak added.