All the friendly words spoken by the Chief Ministers of Meghalaya and Assam recently appeared for nought as Assam police allegedly manhandled the Mawhati MDC, Charles Marngar, after a dispute broke out over an electric pole in Ïongkhuli village today.
The Meghalaya Energy Corporation Ltd (MeECL) erected an electric pole as part of the process to bring electricity to the people of Ïongkhuli, Ri-Bhoi. However, Assam police, backed up by a magistrate from Kamrup district, today uprooted the pole, claiming that the land in question falls under Assam.
The Meghalaya side was represented by Additional Deputy Commissioner R Kharbihkhiew and Ri-Bhoi Superintendent of Police Nazarious Lamare. Also present were Marngar, headmen, local residents and the Meghalaya People Social Organisation.
Ïongkhuli falls under Raid Marwet of Hima Mylliem, according to Meghalaya, but the Assam authorities refused to heed the Meghalayans before uprooting the electric pole.
In the argument, Marngar was manhandled by the police of the neighbouring state. The MDC demanded that the Meghalaya government take up the matter urgently with its Assam counterpart.