A small microphone-snatching incident will not affect the talks between Meghalaya and Assam to resolve the long-pending border dispute, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said today.
Tynsong was criticised for not intervening during a joint regional border committee between Assam and Meghalaya where a microphone was snatched out of the hands of a resident of Nongspung while the person was raising a concern about the border issue. The microphone was taken from him by members of the Assam delegation.
Tynsong was present at the meeting as the chair of the regional committee for Ri-Bhoi. Today he stated that “people are unnecessarily trying to make an issue out of this”.
Meanwhile, he expressed hope that the two states would be able to resolve some of the differences in how they each see the border by the end of the year, as Chief Minister Conrad Sangma had already promised.
The regional committees were expected to submit their reports to the CM today but this has been put off until later this week when Sangma is free.
Sangma had earlier said that the two governments might be able to resolve six areas of difference along the border by Christmas.
“We are hopeful because both the CMs have shown keenness to resolve this long-pending issue. Out of six areas, I don’t know how many we can resolve but I’m sure at least a few will be resolved at the Chief Minister level,” Tynsong said.
“Ultimately we have to take into consideration the geography, history and administration. Both the CMs will sit down and, according to the reports that will be submitted by the committees, will work out the details accordingly,” he added.
Three regional committees were formed in September to cover the three districts in Meghalaya that face border disputes with Assam. The six areas in dispute that the two governments are working to settle first are Tarabari, Gizang and Hahim in West Khasi Hills, Boklapara and Khanapara-Pilingkata in Ri-Bhoi and Ratacherra in East Jaiñtia Hills.