MDC of Rambrai Jyrngam constituency, Bajop Pyngrope has maintained that the voice of the people should be the first criteria in solving the boundary dispute between Meghalaya and Assam in its second phase.
Informing that the Meghalaya boundary committee has met and is now waiting for the formation of the boundary committee from Assam side which has more or less also been formed, Pyngrope however refuses to disclose anything relating to Langpih which comprises several Nepali inhabitants.
“I cannot disclose this because it is being worked out and the district administration is working out on this and we will have to wait and see how it turns out,” he told Highland Post.
Pyngrope said that both the boundary committees from Assam and Meghalaya will have to conduct joint inspection of the disputed areas and see the criteria and most importantly the willingness of the people.
When asked, he however said that during the one-day winter session of KHADC held on November 3, he only tried to clarify that the District Council constituency at Rambrai Jyrngam is not the same as the Assembly constituency.
“The MDC of Mylliem Ronnie V. Lyngdoh told the House that I had said that not even one village from Meghalaya went to Assam. I immediately reacted by saying that Lyngdoh misled the House because he does not know that District Council constituency at Rambrai Jyrngam is not the same as the Assembly constituency because all the villages falling under District Council constituency at Rambrai-Jyrngam came to Meghalaya in the first phase of border settlement,” Pyngrope said.
He said that the villages like Athiabari, Salpara, Umshiak, Ranighat, Malapara, Moipara, Rongthali, Madan Khilur and others came to Meghalaya in the first phase of the boundary settlement.
Stating that only fools keep saying that Meghalaya has settled the boundary issue by giving lands to Assam, he said, “Who are the fools who keep saying this. I would like to meet them. They can come to my constituency and I’ll take them to the ground and show them that land included in the disputed list is now under Meghalaya.”
He ridiculed legislators “who kept speaking only from Shillong” about the boundary issue and wanted them to come to the ground and see the truth.
“If land in my constituency has gone to Assam then don’t you think that my constituents would not chase me,” he said, maintaining that ultimately the people of Rambrai-Jyrngam constituency will give their verdict in the upcoming elections.
