Shillong, April 15: The 50-year-old boundary dispute between Assam and Meghalaya has no easy solutions despite several committees and governments in the past making efforts to resolve this issue.
Assam and Meghalaya share 12 areas of dispute, which include: Tarabari, Gizang reserve forest, Hahim, Langpih, Borduar, Boklapara, Nongwah-Mawtamur, Khanapara-Pillangkata, Deshdoomreah, Block I & Block II, Psiar-Khanduli and Ratacherra.
While an ‘accept all’ solution is nearly impossible given the complexity of the issue, the Government of Meghalaya under the National People’s Party (NPP) led by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma have taken the step to pursue the matter and try to reach a logical conclusion instead of leaving the issue in limbo. Understandably, some villages under Meghalaya are opposing the agreement between the two States as they have to part with their land or the villages altogether have gone to Assam.
This article aims to draw out the facts leading to the MoU between Assam and Meghalaya on March 29, 2022, and the factors involved in it. At the same time, this is to also debunk the politicking and web of rhetoric being spun by the opposition and set the record straight.
The Assam – Meghalaya MoU
Assam and Meghalaya signed an agreement to resolve six of the 12 areas of difference in phase one through the ‘give and take policy’ route to settle the dispute after extensive consultations at ground level with people and village heads through the respective regional committees lead by Cabinet Ministers. However, some villages have expressed their resentment at not being part of Meghalaya despite the popular voice during the public meetings expressing otherwise.
The six areas on which agreement has been reached in the first phase are: Tarabari, Gizang, Hahim, Boklapara, Khanapara-Pillangkata, and Ratacherra.
Currently, joint surveys and satellite imagery of the areas is underway. Of the 36 villages in the 6 areas of dispute, Meghalaya will get to keep 30 while 6 will be ceded to Assam. Of 36.79 sq km of disputed area taken up for settlement in the first phase, Assam would get full control of 18.51 sq km and Meghalaya of 18.28 sq km.
Areas Meghalaya gets to keep
Recently, in his reply during the Budget Session in Assembly, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had shared details of the villages remaining with Meghalaya and those going to Assam.
West Khasi Hills District:
Tarabari Area: Total 8 villages were claimed by Meghalaya, namely, Upper Tarabari/ Walkam, Rangkhet, Thangkhola, Chingipa/Chiginde, Doini-Charadonu, Dapbolpara, Balkam and Malang Salbari. Out of these, all 8 villages will come under Meghalaya.
Gizang Area: Under Gizang Area, there were 3 villages. Out of these 3 Villages, Amagaon and Gohanimara will be in Meghalaya and Malsapara village along with the Gizang Reserve Forest will be in Assam.
Hahim Area: In Hahim Area, out of the 12 villages that were claimed by Meghalaya, namely, Rongthali, Ranighat, Athiabari, Thamnaguri/ Sonakuri, Mathaphuta/ Umshiak, Maspara, Moipara, Malapara/ Nalapara, Simrang (Umsaitwait) and Simrang/ Salpara, Lejadubi villages will come to Meghalaya and one village, namely, Thutiapara/ Thutia Bazar will be in Assam.
Ri Bhoi District:
Boklapara Area: Out of 2 villages that were claimed in Boklapara area, Boklapara village will come to Meghalaya, Jimrigaon village will go to Assam.
Khanapara-Pillangkata Area: Parts of the villages of Maikhuli, Pillangkata and Borpathar stone quarry area will be in Meghalaya. In Khanapara area it is agreed that the ASTC Transit Camp to the Police Out Post, Namghar, Assamese inhabited areas of Khanapara village and Dreamland Resort will be with Assam. The rest of the areas including the entire apartment complex of Brahmaputra Realtors Pvt. Ltd. will be with Meghalaya. In Patarkuchi area, areas inhabited by ethnic communities of Meghalaya and their religious and cultural places, if any, will be included in Meghalaya during detailed survey. In Maikhuli area, Muamari Beel, which is adjacent to Maikhuli playground, will remain with Assam and the Maikhuli graveyard will be with Meghalaya.
East Jaintia Hills District:
Ratacherra Area: Out of the total 5 villages, three villages, namely, Malidor, Ratacherra and Border Umperdit will be in Meghalaya. The remaining village of Baleswar Grant revenue village (Ratacharagaon, Natanpur Tea garden and Jalapur Tea garden) will be part of Assam.
Dissident voices
Two villages have been the news of late – Malsapara (Malchapara) under Gizang and Malang Salbari village under Tarabari area, in West Khasi Hills, which are primarily inhabited by the Garo community.
The people of these villages say they feel ‘betrayed’ by the Meghalaya government as they are supposed to go to Assam government as per the agreement.
These villages have also gotten the support of opposition All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and other civil society groups. In specific, former Chief Minister and AITC leader Dr Mukul Sangma has started doing the rounds of the villages that have been excluded from Meghalaya and drumming up support to oppose the MoU signed between Assam and Meghalaya.
He claims that Meghalaya has rushed into the agreement without taking historical facts and land documents into perspective and is subservient to Assam. He has assured to fight for the people of these villages and keep their desire to be with Meghalaya burning.
How the agreement was reached
Meghalaya and Assam agreed on 5 principles to solve the boundary dispute:
(i) Historical Perspective,
(ii) Ethnicity of Local Population,
(iii) Contiguity with the boundary,
(iv) People’s Will, and
(v) Administrative Convenience.
In addition:
1. Government of Meghalaya and Government of Assam arrived at a decision based on the maps that were submitted in 2011.
2. Since the claims and areas under Meghalaya were already demarcated based on years of consultation with different stakeholders, and already submitted to Assam, the present Government facilitated the talks further and arrived at an understanding to resolve the areas of differences.
3. Meghalaya Government took years to demarcate its territory and submitted it claims and hence the present Government after cross checking the maps on ground with the people at large and also through drone surveys, finalised the areas and submitted it for final agreement to be drafted.
The facts and identification of 12 areas of dispute
It was in 2011 that Government of Meghalaya had identified 12 areas of difference with Assam, led by the then Congress-led MUA government led by Dr Mukul Sangma, who was then with Congress. The MUA government had submitted the land documents to the Assam government but talks between the two states remained stagnant despite numerous Chief Secretarial and Chief Ministerial level meetings.
However, these documents became the blueprint and cornerstone to decide on the boundaries of the disputed areas.
Interestingly, when Meghalaya was carved out from Assam in 1972 based on ‘The Assam Reorganisation (Meghalaya) Act, 1969’, these boundary disagreements existed, as had been noted by a 1951 committee headed by then Assam chief minister Gopinath Bordoloi.
Bordoloi Committee had recommended that Blocks I and II of Jaintia Hills (Meghalaya) be transferred to the Mikir Hill (Karbi Anglong) district of Assam, besides some areas from Meghalaya’s Garo Hills to Goalpara district of Assam.
While Meghalaya has rejected these claims, arguing that these areas originally belonged to the Khasi–Jaintia Hills, Assam counter-claims that Meghalaya does not have the requisite documents to prove ownership of these lands
A number of attempts had been made in the past to resolve the boundary dispute. In 1985, under then Assam chief minister Hiteswar Saikia and Meghalaya chief minister Captain W A Sangma, an official committee to resolve the issue was constituted under the former Chief Justice of India Y V Chandrachud. However, a solution was not found.
The situation with Malchapara and Malang Salbari
As mentioned above, the agreement arrived between Assam and Meghalaya on March 29, 2022, to demarcate their boundaries is based on the recommendations by their respective Regional Committees which held extensive consultations at ground level and existing land documents, referred to the documents exchanged between the two states in 2011. Here is how the fate of these villages was decided as per the official documents accessed by Hub News.
Malchapara
1. Malsapara (Malchapara) village is one of the 3 (three) villages under the area of difference in Gizang area claimed by Meghalaya in 2011.
2. During the visit of the Regional Committee the residents of this Malsapara (Malchapara) village expressed their willingness to be with Assam. The other two villages namely Amagoan and Gohanimara expressed their willingness to be with Meghalaya.
3. Gizang Reserved Forest which is on the western side of Malsapara village has always under the control of Assam will be withAssam.
4. Since people’s will principle has been followed by both the States and is a strong factor for the boundary talks, hence based on this Malsapara (Malchapara) will be in Assam and Amagoan and Gohanimara will be in Meghalaya.
Malang Salbari
1. In 2011, Malang Salbari village was included in the area of difference under Tarabari Area. However, the total area of Tarabari area as claimed in 2011 is 4.69 Sq.Km, excluded the area of Malang Salbari village.
2. On the map submitted in 2011, Malang Salbari village was not included in the shaded area under the area of Difference of Tarabari and only its name was coloured in red.
3. The Government of Meghalaya and Assam decided that any other areas/villages situated outside the area of difference shown in the maps submitted by Meghalaya in 2011 will not be considered.
4. As per the Report of the Regional Committee, Malang Salbari falls within Meghalaya and the coordinates given in the report are of the polling station of the village of Malang Salbari. However, this village has over a period of time expanded beyond the Mirekchi river which is the natural boundary between Meghalaya and Assam. The part of Malang Salbari village which is indicated in the report of the Regional Committee and within the boundary of the Mirekchi river has been in Meghalaya and will continue to be in Meghalaya. For the portion of the village that has expanded beyond the Mirekchi river, will be in Assam.
Conclusion
After looking at the facts and historical background present, and as mentioned above, it is clear that the decisions on disputed areas by the current NPP-led MDA government are based on the exercise undertaken in 2011 by the Dr. Mukul Sangma led MUA government.
Thus, with the latest hue and cry for justice from the opposition, there is a intriguing question rising that wonders if the opposition political party and its leader Dr. Mukul Sangma are trying to engineer a protest to portray the present Government in wrong light.
At the same time, is he trying to cover up his own wrongs, wherein under his leadership the final map was prepared in 2011 and submitted to Assam Government.
In the words of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, 50 years of border difference and people in the inter-state continued to suffer, and hence the two States came together to finally start the settlement and ensure that peace prevails in the area and development interventions could be initiated.
Now, the fact remains that further delay – dallying and political vendetta will only create trouble and vested interest will only take advantage.
The blame game should stop!
