HT Bureau
DIPHU, Nov 4: The Ahoi Cheraikom Amei (ACA) a border protection forum demanded the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) authority to convene a special session for adoption of resolution against “Give and Take” policy particularly on Block-I & II of West Karbi Anglong.
In this regard, a memorandum was also submitted to KAAC, CEM Tuliram Ronghang regarding protection of border land of West Karbi Anlgong along the inter-state border with Meghalaya, here on Saturday.
Informing the media, ACA adviser Welcome Teron said the ACA is an organisation of citizens of Block-I&II as the main purpose of the organisation is to protect the territorial integrity of Karbi Anglong especially Block-I & II.
Notably, there is a persistent demand from Meghalaya that Block-I &II belong to Meghalaya and it should be retransferred. They claim that these two blocks originally belong to Jaintia hills and in 1951 were transferred to the newly created Mikir Hills now (Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong), Teron stated and added that is arbitrarily and therefore illegal.
“Our counter argument is that we have no issue with Meghalaya as far as the border issue is concerned. We have not seen any border problems because in 1951 a notification was issued clearly demarcating the constitutional border lines and if this border line is accepted by both sides then there will be no border problems at all,” Teron added.
He stated that some vested interest people from Meghalaya have raised the issue ultimately and a lot of misunderstanding and bad blood has been created between the two tribal communities which have a long history of living together co-existing.
“With the announcement of ‘give and take’ policy people of the border area both Pnar and Karbis living in constant fear because there are frequent clashes between these two communities resulting in the loss of life and properties,” he said.
Convenor of ACA, Longsing Bey said when the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council can convene a special session on the border issue, why not the KAAC convene.
“The ACA covers four Member of Autonomous Council (MAC) constituencies i.e. Chinthong, Amri, Socheng and Amreng. We are demanding that a special session be convened by KAAC to take a strong resolution for the protection of border land. We would be very pleased to CEM Ronghang if he can speak out strongly that as per 1951 government notification even an inch of land of West Karbi Anglong cannot be given to others,” Bey opined.
Bey also said Khasi people of Meghalaya very well know that once it is transferred to West Karbi Anglong will not get back. They know that it has been transferred as per government gazette notification. The inter-state boundary is a matter of central government.
“If the Khasi people know this very well, then why should the government of Assam dig out the matter time and again with the Meghalaya government to bring more controversies,” Bey questioned the Assam government.
