MDA’s government is a copy & paste government: JACBOM Chief

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 26, 2022

JACBoM Chairman and Advocate Erwin K Sutnga labelled the NPP led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) Government as a copy & paste government while referring to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Assam & Meghalaya for the six areas of difference on 29th March, last.

Notably, according to the MoU, Assam will keep 18.51 square kilometres of land and will give Meghalaya 18.28 square kilometres of land, according to the proposed recommendations for the 36.79 square kilometres of land.

Sutnga said that the NPP led MDA Govt under the leadership of Conrad K Sangma copy and paste the works of the previous Govt in 2011 led by Dr. Mukul K Sangma and the present Govt did not do anything on its own before taking up with the Assam Govt for solving the border dispute.

He also said that Mukul Sangma kept the talk for resolving the border dispute with Assam in abeyance as he observed that it would only lead to more grievances.

The JACBOM Chairman told gathering in two Candle Light vigil organized by KSU, JSU, FKJGP and HNYF in Lad College, Jowai and in Jowai By Pass, Soomer organized by Joint Action Committee Ri Lum Jaintia.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the MoU signed between Assam and Meghalaya for the First phase, Sutnga called for the constitution of the interstate council as per Article 263 of the Indian Constitution for resolving the Assam-Meghalaya Interstate Border Dispute and not merely through a resolution signed by the Chief Minister of two States.

Sutnga informed, “We have compiled 600 pages documents for filing a petition against the said MoU in the High Court of Meghalaya as we strongly reject the MoU which is a total sold out of Meghalaya lands.”

On the 22/11 Mukroh incident, the JACBOM Chairman called for the prompt arrest of the Police and Forest personnel of Assam who are responsible for the massacre of the five Pnar people of Mukroh village.

Sutnga appealed to the family members of the five slain persons to refuse the ex-gratia compensation from Assam Govt as it will provide an opportunity for Assam Govt to claim Mukroh village. He also the acceptance of compensation by the family members of Langpih’s firing incident accepted from Assam Govt emboldened the latter to stake its claim of Langpih.

It may be recalled here that on May 14, 2010, the Assam police fired upon the Khasi people in Langpih Village, West Khasi Hills District in order to tame a clash between the Nepali people and Khasi and Garo communities. Four Khasi villagers died namely Charles Lyngkhoi, Denis Nongsiej, Ekros Rani and Columbos Hoojo were killed in the incident.