HITO seeks action against Assam’s illegal encroachment in WJH

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 13, 2021

The Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organization (HITO) has demanded the state government to take action against the continuous land encroachment by the Assam government in West Jaintia Hills district.

In a letter to the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, president of the organization Donbok Dkhar alleged that leaders from Assam had conducted an inspection to Khatkasla village where the new border police outpost was set up by the Assam government.

He said earlier the same leaders had conducted inspections at Khanduli village for the construction of a building to set up a university.

Accusing the Assam government for failing to maintain status quo, Dkhar also recalled that precious lives have been lost at Langpih, West Khasi Hills district in 2009.

“(It was) due to the interference of the Assam government when Himanta Biswa Sarma was in cabinet minister under Congress (regime)since he was the MLA from Kamrup… again under his leadership as a Chief Minister of Assam in 2021, he show his attitude again to Meghalaya,” he said.

On the other hand, Dkhar lamented at the inaction of the state government which led to such incidents to keep happening again.

He suggested the need for the state government to take up the matter with the Centre since the Assam government is now showing any sincerity to resovle the boundary disputes not only with Meghalaya but with Mizoram and Nagaland as well.

“A joint approach with the above states is the need of the hour to ensure Assam is shown its place,” he also asserted.

Further, the HITO leader said the MDA government should take serious steps to solve the matter at the earliest because “we don’t want to see again another precious life to be lost at Khaduli or Khatkasla before it’s too late.”

According to him, it is also the duty of all regional political parties to take up the issue as all of them have promised in their respective manifestos. There is no point to shout that they are concerned about the issue of border disputes only during elections, he stated.