The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) has expressed unhappiness on the decision to pull out Assam and Meghalaya police forces from disputed Khanduli.
“As a party we are not happy with the CMs’ decision which is to remove the state police from Khanduli and deploy the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) instead,” KHNAM working president Thomas Passah said today.
Stating that the central forces are under the control of the BJP-led central government, he expressed fear that this might just give the BJP government of Assam under the leadership of Himanta Biswa Sarma the upper hand.
“We strongly demand that the government not remove the Meghalaya police from these border outposts for the safety and interest of the citizens of the state in the border areas,” he added.
Yesterday, Assam and Meghalaya decided to pull out their respective police forces from the Khanduli area along the inter-state border in West Jaiñtia Hills and Karbi Anglong and deploy the CRPF instead.
This was decided at the Chief Ministers level meeting of the two states, between Himanta Biswa Sarma and Conrad K Sangma, to resolve the interstate boundary dispute.
The decision comes after a recent spate of violence between the two communities in Khanduli caused by a tax gate erected by the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council there.
Sarma said the deployment of CRPF, a neutral force, will ensure people from both sides of the border feel comfortable.
