NGOs to set up fact finding team on boundary dispute

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaFebruary 23, 2022

Several NGOs on Wednesday decided to set up a team to visit the six areas of difference after the state government failed to make public the report on the inter-state boundary, which was recently submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).  

Speaking to media persons after attending a meeting convened by the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, President of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) Lambokstarwell Marngar said, “In the coming days, we will sit and constitute our team to visit and interact with the people residing in all these areas especially the Syiems and headmen to find out the facts and the story behind the visit of the regional committees constituted by the state government.”

He said that the decision was taken after the state government could not share the border report adding “it is very difficult to say what the mind is and what is the strategy that the government has applied (for solution to the long pending boundary issue).”

When asked, Marngar said, “It is a fact that how can we trust (the findings of the regional committees) without a black and white report. It is very difficult to trust as we have to be very careful keeping in mind that this is a very sensitive issue.”

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If the meeting was relevant without the report being made available, the KSU leader however said, “That is for the government to answer what is the purpose and objective of this meeting but we have done our part to suggest the government so we leave it to its wisdom.”

Marngar further informed that the NGOs have reminded the government that the history and the concept of the hill state movement should not be forgotten as that is very much important.

“It depends on the wisdom of the state government what kind of formulae they would like to apply  but we have already suggested that history and the concept of the hill state movement should be reconsidered and the voice of the people residing in these areas should be taken into confidence and the documents from the traditional heads is very important,” he said.

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To another query, the KSU chief said the NGOs will keep pressurizing the government to share the report to ensure that it should go in the right direction and reach a positive destination.

“We have also emphasized that the district councils are very important, the headmen and the syiems should be taken into consideration before they (government) jump to a final conclusion,” he added