Rambrai Jyrngam MLA Kimfa Marbaniang will try and convince Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to get certain villages that have gone to Assam under the border deal signed in March back in Meghalaya’s hands.
Marbaniang expressed concern that the three villages of Joypur, Salbari and Huwapara have been left out of Meghalaya because the first phase talks were done hastily.
“We are trying to request our CM to at least speak to the Assam CM because these residents from those areas want to be in Meghalaya and if we can bring them back they will be very happy,” Marbaniang said, though he stuck to the state government’s line that the Congress Party is to be blamed for not including the three villages in Meghalaya’s claim in 2011.
The second phase of negotiations, which began on Sunday, is to consider areas where the dispute is expected to be more difficult to resolve.
Langpih is one of those places and it falls under Marbaniang’s constituency. He called for all local leaders, from village headmen up, to be taken on board.
“We are seeing lots of agitation and misleading statements from many pressure groups, which is sad when it comes to West Khasi Hills because to say that we have lost many places is false,” Rambrai Jyrngam MDC Bajop Pyngrope said while querying why these groups have not talked about the areas that Meghalaya has gained, such as Tarabari.
“We understand we missed those three villages so we are hopeful that, with consultation, we can bring them back so that agitation will stop. It is not that we are selling our land. It is because of the sins of the previous government that we are paying for it,” added Pyngrope, who until very recently was with the Congress.
