Mukul asks CM to accept “mistake” of surrendering tribal land to Assam

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 18, 2022

Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma on Monday asked the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to accept his “mistakes” of surrendering tribal lands to Assam.

“Mr Chief Minister has to really go back to these records, accept his mistake and tell the world that he has committed a mistake and he has failed to protect the interest of our people and push our people to Assam, surrender our land to Assam,” Mukul told reporters.

“Therefore, I want to join the fight, I want to take it back, withdraw the MoU full stop,” he added.

Referring to the documentation along with revenue notifications and maps submitted to Assam by the then state government of Meghalaya in 2011, Mukul said the whole revenue record was to claim that these areas of difference are tribal lands and formed an integral part of Meghalaya.

He said that the six areas of difference (which has been resolved as per the MoU) were properly indicated in the maps but what the Conrad K Sangma-led state government did is that they divided this 36.79 sq km land.

“Has he (Conrad) claimed these 36.79 sq kms? Did he get back this 36.79 sq kms? No, that is why we are saying why have you surrendered, why you have not got this 36.79 sq kms which formed an integral part of our tribal land belonging to different himas and raids. Therefore, why has he not fought to get all 36.79 sq kms? Who has given the authority to give away 18.51 sq km (to Assam) and what is the balance left 18.28 sq kms – that means here you see Assam is getting more. Therefore, we are talking about this 18.51 sq km which has been given to Assam otherwise from where he got this 18.51 sq kms it is from that revenue records,” he said.

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Mukul said that the revenue records are not based on the notification of the government of Meghalaya but these are the notifications (of 1896, 1911, 1912, 1915, 1966 and 1967) issued prior to the creation of the state of Meghalaya.

“Therefore, who is trying to defend something which is indefensible? He (CM) is trying to defend his own mistake. Why doesn’t he say okay I have done a mistake. Let him be honest to the people why he wants to engage in lying and lying in all this. Let him ask me which map I am referring to and I will show him. These notifications does it bear the signature of Mukul Sangma or state government of Meghalaya – as Meghalaya was not even born at that time,” he added.

When asked how the AITC is planning to undo the MoU, the former chief minister said there is precedence and cited that the Supreme Court had taken up the issue of Babri Masjid.

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That means historical background has to be taken into consideration when trying to adjudicate any issues or petition pertaining to the interest of the people and their ownership.

“Here we are talking about the land belonging to the tribals and which people have inherited from our forefathers. Is it not our responsibility to protect and preserve these lands though we were not able to protect prior to independence,” he said.

The Leader of Opposition further asserted the need to understand the complexity in respect to the land tenure system.

In respect to Meghalaya when you talk of ownership there are multiple stakeholders, he said.