STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Garo villagers residing in the border villages between the Kamrup district in Assam and the West Khasi Hills district in Meghalaya have expressed their willingness to stay in Assam. They have, however, raised their twin demand – the development of the border areas and the creation of a Garo Autonomous Council under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India on a satellite basis.
In a letter to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the fringe dwellers of border villages like Salbari, Huhuapara, Gosanimara, Amagaon and other adjoining areas such as Upper Tarabari, Tangkula, Balsuk etc., expressed their willingness to stay in Assam. They have also sent copies of their letter to two regional committee chairmen of Assam – Minister Atul Bora and Minister Pijush Hazarika, besides Garo Development Council, Assam chairman Alex K Sangma.
The regional committees of both Assam and Meghalaya visited these fringe villages recently. The letter said, "Majority of the Garo people residing in the inter-state boundary areas have unanimously decided to stay in Assam with the sole purpose of maintaining the age-old continuity, social security and tranquillity with the people of Assam which are the quintessential prerequisites for the all-round socio-economic development of the people of the state. It is our humble opinion that any attempt to change the status quo would greatly jeopardize the peaceful coexistence amongst the people of the state which we have been maintaining since time immemorial in the various fields of economical, social, cultural and educational uplift.
"We had registered our land documents and obtained permanent pattas from the Government of Assam long before the creation of the State of Meghalaya from the erstwhile composite State of Assam. It was possible because the Government of Assam's Revenue Department had undertaken a cadastral survey. Based on our permanent land pattas, we are paying our land tax to the Government of Assam annually. The people of Meghalaya on the other side of the inter-state border cannot register their land documents in the Autonomous District Councils of Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills accept in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council due to the absence of cadastral survey that makes it difficult for the people to maintain the land records.
"We would like to request your good offices to undertake massive infrastructural development in the border areas of Assam to catch up with other developed areas of the state. There is ample scope to develop these areas as these areas are abundantly blessed with mineral resources, agricultural and horticultural products, forest products etc. The absence of infrastructural developments is the main stumbling block in these areas. Constructions of all-weather roads and bridges for all the year-round economic activities will go a long way in alleviating the hardship faced by the people of the area due to its inaccessibility to commercial centres for transportation of their goods and products.
"The solution to the inter-state boundary issues should be found based on provisions of the Constitution of India since people residing on both sides of the border are the rightful citizens of the country and their peaceful cooperation and peaceful coexistence should be the main guiding principles."
In the recent visits of the regional committees of both the states to these fringe villages, the villagers were divided in their opinion – some expressed their willingness to side with Meghalaya and some with Assam.
The chief ministers of both the states constituted three regional committees each. The regional committees will submit their reports to their respective chief ministers to let them settle the disputes.
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