Congress MDC Charles Margnar today ramped up his attack on the government for the way it has conducted the negotiations with Assam to resolve the disputed border, saying that not taking the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) into confidence is tantamount to violating the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
Monday saw Chief Minister Conrad Sangma give a synopsis of the deal signed between the two states to the Assembly, though the full text of the agreement has not been shared. Yesterday, Marngar said he was opposed to Meghalaya giving up the Assam State Transport Corporation transit camp in Khanapara to Assam, as Sangma had revealed.
Today, in the KHADC, Marngar moved a motion saying that the agreement, without taking into account the knowledge of the KHADC, traditional leaders and other concerned stakeholders, is a suppression of the rights of the council empowered under the Sixth Schedule.
“Does the MoU protect the customary rights and practices of our people who will be living in Assam as per this agreement?” Marngar asked, adding a worry that Assam’s government might claim swathes of private land that in Meghalaya would belong to families and clans according to custom.
Stating that Assam aims to make Khanapara an industrial township, he expressed fears that railways will be brought up to Byrnihat and the problem of migrant influx will be magnified in Meghalaya.
He called Sangma a wolf in sheep’s clothing who had purposely ignored the KHADC from the boundary talks with Assam and never referred to the council before signing the MoU.
Assam is busy at work in the disputed areas, building a road in Sabuda, while the Karbi Anglong autonomous council has erected six toll gates in villages under Raid Nongtung to ‘tax’ Khasi farmers growing broom.
“Our farmers have to pay Rs 15,000 per pickup to the Karbi Anglong autonomous council, Rs 500 per vehicle to the forest department of Assam and Rs 300 to the Assam police at Umlaper and Sabuda,” he said.
There have been numerous other incidents of Assamese aggression, Marngar added, but these have been ignored by the CM. According to the Mawhati MDC, he had written letters to Sangma when Assam inaugurated a stadium at Umlaper and then seized pipes under a scheme implemented by Meghalaya in Raid Nongtung.
“Our villages have been deprived of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) since August 2021 while their (Assam’s) developmental works keep progressing. Likewise with the construction of police outposts, fencing, etc,” he added.
His criticism was not reserved for the government, though, as he lamented that the KHADC has not allocated developmental schemes for the border areas.
In response, the Chief Executive Member Titosstarwell Chyne assured the house that all these matters will be taken up.
“We will call the traditional heads to seek clarification whether they have given their consent that the lands will fall on either of the two states and we will apprise the government of the discontentment coming from several quarters,” he said, adding that, if needed, an all-MDC meeting will be convened.
He said that the KHADC has from day one maintained that the interstate boundary discussion should be based on the fact that the boundaries of the traditional Khasi states are the boundaries of the district council and these should also form the boundary of the entire state.
Chyne also said that he will meet the CEM of the Karbi Anglong autonomous council on March 23.
Informing that the KHADC has sanctioned Rs 30 lakh for an outpost at Langpih, he promised that developmental schemes for the border areas will be earmarked once the KHADC gets central assistance.
However, Marngar suggested that Chyne not wait until March 23 to meet the Karbi Anglong CEM but to write immediately to him on the matter of the broom farmers.
