Assam, Meghalaya CMs To Undertake Joint Visits to West Jaintia Hills and Karbi Anglong in June

GUWAHATI: The second leg of border talks between Assam and Meghalaya started off in the state guest house at Guwahati’s Koinadhara on Wednesday, May 24.

Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad K Sangma have agreed to conduct joint visits, as part of confidence building measures, to the tension-prone areas of West Jaintia Hills and Karbi Anglong in June.

Significantly, the Karbi and Jaintia communities, in recent times, have been embroiled in a lot of unrest and tension along the West Jaintia Hills and Karbi Anglong border.

The talks between the two states are aimed at resolving the remaining six areas of disagreement on the Assam- Meghalaya border.

Following the first official CM- level meeting in Guwahati in the second phase of border talks, Assam Chief Minister Himanata Biswa Sarma said before reporters: "From today the regional committees of both the states will start meeting, visiting the other state's sites or areas, where difference still exists." As a confidence-building measure, the Chief Minister of Meghalaya and I will visit Karbi Anglong and the Jaintia Hills area, where there are currently some unrest, in the last part of June.

"Individuals on the two sides will feel certainty and they will be guaranteed that both the states will determine the distinctions, resolve the question with a feeling of the long existing kinship between individuals of Meghalaya and Assam," he added.

CM Sarma was confident of resolving the issues and differences through the means of conversation and shared trust.

A CM- level audit meeting will be held after the Local Boards present their reports by July end.

Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma said this is the start of the efforts to pave the way for resolving the leftover six areas of differences.

"We have requested that territorial councils do truth finding and begin a similar cycle as was finished for the main period of talks… We will talk with partners and we desire to get reports very soon, a few regions might take time and some will be quicker," Sangma said.

The Meghalaya CM also stated that the two chief ministers will go jointly to call for peace and reassure the people in West Jaintia Hills and Karbi Anglong, where tensions are simmering and that a solution will be found through the process of mutual trust.

"At the same time, we have asked the Survey of India to continue with their survey work of the first six areas of differences and complete their surveys," Sangma said, adding that, "I am confident in the leadership of Chief Minister of Assam and Govt of India and we will find a way to resolve the matter with mutual trust and friendships.”

Also Read: Assam, Meghalaya Border Dispute: Himanta Biswa Sarma, Conrad Sangma To Hold Talks Over Border Issue Today

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