Editor,
We the people of Jaintia Hills are well pleased to have read your front-page news item (HP: June 24, 2023) on the caption “State to Seek Return of Blocks 1 & 2 from Assam”, based on the statement of Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong.
Yes, the honourable Deputy Chief Minister is right that “it is a question of re-transferring back those areas” unconstitutionally transferred by Assam in 1951 after the boundary of the erstwhile Jowai Sub-division was ratified by the Constituent Assembly. Perhaps, the Deputy Chief Minister had made this statement by way of correcting himself of what he had said earlier that Block 2 belongs to the Hima Khyrim according to the media report.
However, we are still perplexed as to how Block-2 has been entrusted to the Regional Committee of Ri-Bhoi District instead of West Jaintia Hills as the two Blocks consist of one contiguous area of Jaintia Hills. Block 1 has been under the Nongphyllut Doloiship, large parts of Raliang, Shiliang Myntang, Nongjngi Doloiships and the Langsoh Mynriang Sirdarship; while Block 2 has been under the Mynri Doloiship.
Perhaps, as stated by the President of the VPP during the last budget session of the Meghalaya Assembly, the current leadership in the State does not know the geographical boundaries of the State.
Let it be noted by all that the legal boundary between the Khasi Hills and the Jaintia Hills is the Umiam and the Umlet rivers in the northern part and the Umngot river in the southern part, while in the central portion it is the deep gorge where the mountains of the Jaintia Hills are facing the mountains of the Khasi Hills. The Shillong-Jowai road passes through the space where this gorge becomes shallower.
While re-transferring any area, the Home Ministry has been very clear in respect of the new population of the people who migrated or were planted during the period of dispute.
We hope the honourable Deputy Chief Minister will take into account this important aspect which cannot be considered.
It is true that the two Blocks were not included within Meghalaya in 1972 because Assam unilaterally finalised the boundaries of the new State of Meghalaya.
J D Lamin
Nongbareh Lyntiar,
P.O. Amlarem,
West Jaintia Hills
