NONGPOH:
The dorbar shnong Umsaw Lumdorbar on December 15 wrote to the Deputy Commissioner of Ri Bhoi district on the boundary fencing constructed by the forest department of Assam in their village and to seek the support of the district administration on the same.
In the letter, it was mentioned that the border magistrate had visited the spot around 20 days back with the assurance to solve the matter. However, the Assam forest department is still continuing with its construction, and it is causing a problem to the the local farmers who have to cross the fencing to get to the area where they grow ginger, plants for making brooms, etc.
“The construction of the border fencing implies that the Assam forest department has taken over their land forcefully, even though it has been earmarked for the proposed reserve forest, Umjaknieh,” the letter read.
It further said that on December 11, some unknown individuals had uprooted the fencing, and the Assam Police had blamed the headman and secretary of the village for it. It said they have even gone so far as to send a notice for the arrest of the headman and secretary.
Through the letter, the dorbar shnong urged the state government to solve the issue of the fencing with the West Karbi Anglong district administration, and also tell them to withdraw the order for the arrest of the headman and secretary and other members of the dorbar shnong.
It may be mentioned that president of Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) Lambokstar Marngar had visited Lumdorbar on December 14 after receiving the information from the dorbar shnong and the MDC of Mawhati constituency.
So on December 15, the North Khasi Hills district unit of the KSU demanded the process be sped up and for the arrest order to be withdrawn.