HT Bureau
DIPHU, Nov 3: The Autonomous State Demand Committee, Youth Front (ASDC-YF) held a protest demonstration at Semson Sing Ingti Memorial Park against the alleged ‘give and take’ policy adopted by the Meghalaya and Assam governments in resolving the inter-state boundary issue and to stop the unilateral survey conducted in West Karbi Anglong by the Meghalaya government.
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Participating in the demonstration the president of ASDC, Chandra Kanta Terang blamed the Assam government for not taking into consideration the views and opinions of the people of the Karbi Anglong on inter-state boundary issues.
Terang said of the nine disputed areas between West Karbi Anglong and Meghalaya, 6 have already been settled and three remained.
Terang said that chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during his previous visit to Diphu had assured them that he would convene an all-party meeting to resolve the inter-state border problem. “But till now he has not invited us for the meeting,” he said.
He also said though the inter-state boundary is the subject of the Central government, the chief ministers of two states have been trying to resolve the matter by themselves.
The ASDC and the ASDC-Youth Front are against the give and take policy adopted by the government of two states and are adamant to the government notification of 1951 on the border demarcation.
Terang also blamed the Assam government for the lack of response to the people living in border areas and are dependent on the facilities provided by the Meghalaya government.
“The Assam government and KAAC have totally failed to develop the border areas,” he said.
Chairman, Joint Action Committee for Autonomous State, Khorsing Teron said there may be differences in political affiliation, but as sons of the soil, all must stand together and fight together for protection of the land.
Teron said parts of Nowgaon, Sibsagar and Golaghat were made part of Karbi Anglong before the Karbis had their own administrative areas. In West Karbi Anglong there are administrative areas like Soceheng, Chintong, Amri and Rongkhang, while in Karbi Anglong there are administrative areas like Lumbajong and Nilip, which were not taken from others. In 1970, when Meghalaya was an Autonomous State, the people of Karbi Anglong opted to stay with Assam. It is then the responsibility of the state government to resolve the inter-state boundary issue.
He also said the KAAC is the first responsible authority.
“They should inform the state government about the matter of the inter-state boundary. Both Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong have a well defined boundary. Not even an inch of Karbi Anglong land will be ceded,” he added.
