Shillong, Aug 22: Several pressure groups have protested in the city on Monday to review the border deal and a joint memorandum submitted to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma by Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) and Association for Democracy and Empowerment (ADE) said the majority of the residents of the disputed border areas wanted to remain with Meghalaya.
“We are ready for a trial to prove this particular statement and put our claims to test and it only remains to be seen if your office has the intentions to carry out a proper impartial survey in these regards,” the memorandum said. .
The two NGOs said that the MoU signed on March 29 this year did not consider the historical facts that villages of Mallang Hahuapara (formerly Okgipu Chiring), Mallang Joypur and Mallang Salbari belong to the Nongbak Aking and the Hima Nonglang, and other villages like Maikuli, Iongkuli, Pillangkatta fall under Raid Marwet.
“Further, as per our understanding, these villages were never an area of contention in the boundary dispute between Meghalaya and Assam in the past. However as per the MoU signed between the Government of Meghalaya and Government of Assam on March 29, these villages are being parted and offered to the government of Assam from the lands of Meghalaya,” it said.
During the protest at Shillong Civil Hospital point, a large number of people from the affected border areas held placards which read “MoU must be reviewed”, “Conrad you have no rights to sell our land”, “We appreciate the initiative of MDA Govt to solve the problem of border dispute but we condemn its MoU”, “Don’t sell our land without our consent” among others.
The pressure groups asserted that they will intensify the protests as long as the state government does not revoke the MoU signed with Assam.
