The National People’s Party (NPP) has sold off Meghalaya and are trying to polarise people on the issue of border settlement, the Hynñiewtrep Youth Council (HYC) stated today.
Reacting to a statement made by NPP State President and Rajya Sabha MP WR Kharlukhi that those who do not want to solve the border issue can vote for the opposition and those who do can vote for his party, the HYC in a statement said “He should know that neither the people of the State or the affected residents or the affected Himas are against the border settlement but what we are against is the manner in which the settlement is arrived at.”
HYC general secretary Roy Kupar Synrem reiterated that the NPP-led government did not take into confidence the main stakeholder, that is, the Hima Khasi and the district councils. “The owners of the land which the Conrad Sangma led government gave away in the first phase are the Hima Khasi and without their consent how can he or the government decide to just give away the land to Assam,” he questioned.
He said that even reports and the opinions of the regional committees especially West Khasi Hills and Ri Bhoi Districts were not taken into consideration while signing the MOU. “We lost about 18 Sq. km of land belonging to Hima Khasi and was given away to Assam,” he added.
“Instead of finding a way on how to get back the land lost to Assam, the State NPP President is adding salt to injury by insulting the people of the border areas,” Synrem said, while demanding Kharlukhi to discuss with the government to review the border deal.
