Border residents from 36 villages under the Labang Nongphyllut Pangam Raliang Elaka today came out in huge numbers to demand the retransfer of Block 1 back to Meghalaya.
The demand was made at a public meeting organised by the Labang Nongphyllut Pangam Raliang Area Committee (LNPRAC) held at Myngkoi U Bon in Barato under West Jaiñtia Hills district.
The residents want the State government to pursue with the demand during the Phase 2 of the border settlement with Assam by repealing an order from April 1951.
According to the traditional leaders, the 36 Pnar villages under Block-I were forcibly made to be part of Karbi Anglong, Mikir and North Cachar Hills by the order, when the villages were actually part of and parcel of Jaiñtia Hills.
“This has resulted in grave injustice for the Khasi-Jaiñtia people living in the Block-I area. This was arbitrary, oppressive and unconstitutional, as the Block 1 area was forcibly excluded and tagged with the then Mikir Hills Autonomous District Council,” the leaders said.
While the action of the Governor of Assam was under a Constitutional provision, the leaders said, his action was against human rights that have resulted in severe oppression up to the present time. “We have faced deprivation and threats, assault and killings as well as criminal intimidation in various forms,” they added.
The leaders said that an attempt was made in November 5, 1957 by both the erstwhile United Khasi-Jaiñtia Hills District Council and the Mikir Hills District Council to retransfer back Block 1 to Meghalaya, but it ended on paper works without any positive result to resolve the issue.
Urging the State government to take positive steps to resolve the issue of Block 1 and to table the issue on the floor of the house for the centre to repeal the order, as part of the final settlement of the Meghalaya-Assam interstate boundary, the leaders said the area should be retransferred to Meghalaya as is right under law and the Constitution of India.
Rajya Sabha MP W.R. Kharlukhi who attended the meeting assured to take up the matter with the Chief Minister and Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Rajya Sabha.
Meghalaya State Women’s Commission chairperson, Phidalia Toi, traditional heads, members of various pressure groups and other attended the meeting.
