Border Dispute: Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma to take up with Assam for resumption of talks

Guwahati: The Regional Democratic Alliance (RDA) of the United Democratic Party (UDP) and Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) have suggested the need for Meghalaya and Assam to resolve the border issues between the neighbouring states, which has been a major bone of contention.

Following a meeting with Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma on Monday, UDP chief adviser and former deputy chief minister Bindo M Lanong stated that the party has expressed before the Conrad Sangma on the need to propose to Assam government to resume the dialogue and make an attempt for a permanent solution of the boundary dispute. The disputed area includes Block I and II and some areas in Garo Hills.

The delegation also informed Conrad Sangma about the report of the YV Chandrachud Committee, which was constituted in 1985 to look into the boundary dispute between Assam and Meghalaya.

Lanong informed media that Conrad Sangma has assured the delegation that he would take up with Assam for the resumption of border talks in a bid to find a "permanent solution" to the long-running dispute.

"In its report submitted in 1987, the Chandrachud Committee could not propose anything as there was no proposal at all as they simply reported that Meghalaya had expressed its own position about the boundary tracing back to the Khasi states and their boundaries and that they would like to go back to the boundaries existing then," he said.

Lanong asserted that both the governments of Assam and Meghalaya should respect and maintain the status quo as far as the areas of contention are concerned.

"We would like people of Assam to respect the sentiments of the people of Meghalaya and our Meghalayans also should respect the sentiments of the people of Assam," he said.

As per landconflictwatch.org, Assam and Meghalaya have 12 land disputes. Meghalaya claims that the official bungalow of Assam Chief Minister at Koinadhara in Guwahati is on land owned by Meghalaya.

Former revenue minister of Assam Bhumidhar Barman, on the other hand, had claimed that Meghalaya that had encroached 314 bighas of Assam's land. The Central government has tried to solve the dispute through consultations but failed. Around 11,000 people are said to be affected by this dispute that has continued over the decades.

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