The boundary agreement signed between Meghalaya and Assam to resolve the border dispute in six areas has led to political twists and turns.
After the decision by Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) to challenge the border agreement in the court of law, MDCs belonging to the NPP today said they are opposed to any move to move court against the agreement.
The eleven MDCs of the NPP include Gigur Myrthong, Pyniaid Sing Syiem, Lamphrang Blah, Teibor Pathaw, Bajop Pyngrope, Victor Rani, Grace Mary Kharpuri, Rangkynsai Kharbuki, Macdalyne Mawlong, Alvin Sawkmie and Fantin Lakadong.
These NPP MDCs in a letter to the KHADC Chief Executive Member Titos Chyne said they fully supported the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the governments of Meghalaya and Assam to resolve the boundary issue.
“We have unanimously decided that we are not part of the move by sections within the KHADC to file any case on this issue in any court of law. The press statement given by the vice-chairman of the Border Committee Jambor War was wrong. This is because the decision taken in the meeting was not that the council will appeal in the court, but it was left to the Himas and the private parties to appeal in the court if deemed fit,” the NPP MDCs said in the letter.
Meanwhile, chairman of the NPP parliamentary party in KHADC, Gigur Myrthong said that the decision of the last meeting was to leave it to the traditional heads to move the court if they wish.
The letter by the NPP MDCs has put Chyne in a fix since NPP is the leading partner in the ruling alliance in KHADC and six NPP MDCs are part of the Executive Committee.
It may be mentioned that Chief Minister Conrad Sangma during his speech at the gathering of NPP youth wing on April 27 had said that NPP MDCs will not be part of any move to oppose the border agreement.
Notably on April 26, the border committee of the KHADC decided to move the court and contest the legalities of MoU signed between Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma on March 29 in New Delhi in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.