GSU rejects border agreement

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaApril 11, 2022

The Garo Students Union (GSU) on Monday outrightly rejected the border agreement signed between Meghalaya and Assam for resolving the dispute in six of the twelve areas of difference.

“(We) categorically proceed to state that not an inch of Meghalaya soil will be handed over to Assam, nor any of our A.chik people (families) will be abandoned. The Garo Student Union outrightly rejects the resolution,” GSU CEC president Zikku Balgra N Marak said in a statement.

“And we will fight for the right of the people of Mallangkhona to be a part of Meghalaya as it was and as it rightly is,” he said.

Marak said despite being a very welcomed and applauded move highly appreciated by the people of both the states to come to a final and acceptable border resolution. However, the final outcome which has created a far bigger problem than a solution, very clearly displays the failure, lack of understanding of the issue and its consequences, lack of empathy towards their own people, not most importantly incapability of both the state government to resolve critical matters with minimal loss and damage, he added.

The GSU leader said that despite repeated pleas, written memos and communication to the government of both the states, which were outrightly rejected written by the people inhabiting the borders areas, one such area being Mallangkhona, the said village which has been an integral part of Meghalaya under the jurisdiction Nonglang, Sidarship of West Khasi Hills since statehood was deliberately left out.

And many more such villages without taking the local people into confidence were simply dictated to.

“It would seem the word “Border” is more important to Conrad Sangma Chief Minister of Meghalaya and Himanta Biswa Sharma Chief Minister of Assam than the actual people and their rights. It is clearly evident that both the parties milked the issue towards their own political gains rather than come to a genuine resolution,” Marak stated.