Far from the centres of power in Shillong and Dispur, the residents of villages in the dispute Block 1 area between Meghalaya and Assam eke out a life without access to even basic necessities thanks to the ongoing border dispute.
Members of the Hynñiewtrep Border Dispute Redressal Forum (HBDRF) visited the area and found the villages belonging to the Khasi-Pnar community are deprived of water supply, health services, roads, etc.
Speaking to Highland Post, leader of the HBDRF, Thomas Passah, said that the forum’s members had to travel three hours to reach the villages, which are around 120km from Jowai.
“We visited the villages under the disputed areas that are inhabited solely by the Khasi-Pnar community, including Nongjrong, Moorap, Syrlong, Mynriah, Madan Myn-i, Mooriap, Laher, Umsalait, Mynju, Mookhim, Mooknor, Bandeiñ, Khyndeliar, etc and it pains to say that the people living here have been deprived of every basic necessity, which is gross violation of human rights,” Passah stated, adding that this violates the Constitution, which guarantees every citizen the right to life.
Block 1 was part of an area that the government of erstwhile undivided Assam split off from Jaintia Hills to form Karbi Anglong in 1951, more than 20 years before Meghalaya was carved out of Assam.
“These areas are under the Karbi Anglong Autonomous District Council by the 1951 notification when the existence of the Sixth Schedule came into being but our Khasi-Pnar living there have kept opposing this and have always expressed their willingness to be with Meghalaya. They have written several times to the Indian government but have been ignored by all,” he said.
“Assam has totally ignored them because they belong to the Khasi-Pnar community and we have gone there to give them hope and encouragement that they should not lose heart on their willingness and fight to be under Meghalaya,” Passah added.
