Shillong, Nov 16: Congress leader and East Shillong legislator, Dr. Ampareen Lyngdoh has cast serious aspersions on the joint visit of Assam and Meghalaya Chief Ministers to the Langpih village in West Khasi Hills, which is one of the 12 areas of dispute between the two states, questioning the urgency to solve these boundary disputes.

The joint visit of Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday to Langpih village hasn’t gone down well with Congress as Lyngdoh questioned the urgency to sort out the long pending border issues, and opined that there could be a ‘bad intention’ behind this.

“I can’t understand why the two leaders of the two States are trying to quickly solve the so-called pending vexed interstate boundary issue which concerns everyone,” she expressed after the news of the joint visit was out.

She mentioned that Congress members have also been part of boundary committees during their terms in office and are aware of the issues and their complexities, and there are no easy solutions. Yet, she is surprised at the rate at which the present NPP-led MDA government is trying to resolve these border issues.

Questioning the MDA government on the urgency in solving the boundary issues, she said, “Now, when your committee has not even concluded its finding and made its findings public, where is the urgency of taking two heads of states to that location?… I am just worried, in case this urgency in which they want to solve this problem (inter-state boundary issue) is of a bad intention.”

Lyngdoh also felt that the meeting of the two CMs at Langpih on Tuesday was ‘too premature and too soon’.

Nothing to give or take

The Congress legislator further asserted that Meghalaya should neither give nor take anything in its bid to quickly resolve the boundary dispute with Assam. “Meghalaya has nothing to give nor anything to take,” she remarked while hoping that Tuesday’s visit doesn’t lead to a hasty final resolution to the issue.

If this does occur, she felt, it could create unnecessary turmoil and frustration. Whereas, at this point of time post pandemic, she suggested that the state government should focus more on relevant issues concerning the state.

Historic visit

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday jointly visited Langpih village and interacted with local leaders and the public, and assured them that both the governments are committed to resolve the decades old boundary dispute that has been lingering for 49 years.

Meghalaya CM said it was a ‘historic’ visit that will demonstrate the message of commitment between Assam and Meghalaya to resolve the border differences amicably.

Assam CM stated that when Meghalaya was carved out of Assam in 1972, the border should have been demarcated but it wasn’t done. He also remarked that these border conflicts are becoming an irritating factor to the spirit of Northeast.

Areas of Difference

Meghalaya and Assam have 12 areas of difference, namely, Upper Tarabari, Gizang Reserve Forest, Hahim area, Langpih area, Bordwar area, Nongwah Mawtamur area, Pilangkata Khanapara area, Deshdemoria area, Khanduli area, Umkhyrni Psiar area, Areas of Block I and Block II and Ratacherra area.

The present governments in both the states have decided to divide the 12 areas into two phases where in the first phase will look at resolving the disputes at 6 areas which are easier to resolve as they have less variables and complexities. The phase 2 will take up areas that are seemingly more difficult to resolve as these have seen major conflicts in the past, having numerous claims and counter claims besides external variables and are of political interest.

Assam and Meghalaya are currently at Phase 1.

Both States have made regional committees to be headed by Cabinet Ministers of respective states, which are tasked with field visits, collection of information on land records, verifying the situation at ground zero and get to know the mind of the people there and build consensus among them. These findings will then be handed over to the respective Chief Ministers, who will then hold consultations at their level before finalizing on the resolution which would be acceptable to both the states and end the 49 year old boundary dispute.