SHILLONG:
Holding “will of the people” paramount in resolving the decades-old border issue with neighbouring Assam, cabinet minister Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar, on August 16, said that it will be one of the driving factors for resolving the remaining six areas of dispute between the two states.
“The will of the people is the driving factor that has been there in the first phase (of border talks) and I hope it will be there in the second phase as well,” said Tongkhar, who is chairman of the regional committee for West Khasi Hills District.
He went to say that it is pivotal to take into consideration the views of the various stakeholders from both the sides, especially of those who are residing in the inter-state border areas.
Referring to Langpih, one of the remaining six disputed villages in West Khasi Hills, Tongkhar said that the people of the village and other villages have every right to express their desire as to which state they want to belong to.
“Their will should not be denied. The fact that the people’s will is one of the guiding principles… if 100 per cent of villages want to be in Meghalaya, they deserve to be in Meghalaya,” he said.
Earlier on June 23, in a joint memorandum submitted by the headmen and secretaries of 39 villages, including Langpih, to the Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, the villagers had expressed their desire to be in Meghalaya. Out of the 39 villages, there are 20 Khasi villages and 19 are Garo Hills. Residents of these villages have also claimed to have surrendered their Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) issued by the Assam government.
Meanwhile, Tongkhar informed that he had requested the chief minister to initiate the second phase of border talks at the earliest.
“We hope that we will initiate the talks soon but whether we will be able to complete the talks, the exercise and to sign the MoU for the second phase, that I can’t say as of now,” he said.
Earlier on August 9, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma had informed that the second round of talks between Meghalaya and Assam on the remaining six areas of difference will begin after the Independence Day celebrations.
On March 29, both the states had signed the MoU for resolving the first six locations in presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.
Stating it was not an easy task to resolve the dispute, Tongkhar said, “We also know that whatever we do we cannot satisfy all our people. There will be complaints and allegations here and there as is the scenario now. Even though we have done the best we can, people are still complaining. But as responsible leaders and as a responsible government, I think we should initiate the second phase of talks and do whatever we can,” he said.