Shillong: The Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO), a Shillong-based pressure group, has demanded that the Meghalaya government should immediately stop negotiation Assam on the inter-state boundary issue.
The HITO on Monday wrote to Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma that the Meghalaya government should immediately stop negotiations with Assam.
The Shillong-based pressure group told to stop negotiations in view of the ‘nefarious’ and ‘ulterior motive’ of Assam to claim areas outside the 12 settled areas of dispute.
The HITO said Assam’s motive was evident from the firing incident at Mukroh, in which five tribal Pnar people of Meghalaya lost their lives due to unlawful and indiscriminate firing by the Assam Police personnel on November 22.
After the killing of the five innocent people, the claim by Assam CM that Mukroh falls in Assam has exposed the ‘ulterior motive’ of the Assam government to keep on claiming land belonging to the tribal Khasi-Jaiñtia.
The HITO said tribal Khasi-Jaiñtia never signed any instrument of merger and that we were brought into India through the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India. The leaders claimed in 1951, before the formation of the United Khasi and Jaiñtia District Council, the then Governor of Composite Assam, without the consent of the Khasi-Jaiñtia tribe had forcefully transferred the area now known as Block-1 and Block-2 to the then United Mikir Hills District Council, which is now known as Karbi-Anglong Autonomous Council.
“This illegal act of the then Governor of Assam is made blatant by the fact that there was never a report of any commission as required by Para 1 of the Sixth Schedule,” the HITO leaders said.
The organization said transfer of Block 1 and Block 2 were in violation of Para 14 of the Sixth Schedule as it is mandatory to appoint a commission of inquiry before transferring any tribal area.
“Now the Assam government is creating new areas of dispute and just to further its illegal claims…..,” the HITO said, adding that the Assam government had even used surrendered ULFA cadres to occupy land at Maikhuli in Ri Bhoi district.
The HITO demanded that the new Border Outpost of Meghalaya Police should be within the disputed areas. Outposts should be in Jrikyndeng, Jatalong and Sabuda villages, it demanded.
“There should be immediate action to set up temporary Border Outpost at Mokailum ahead of Mukroh village,” the HITO said
Any settlement of the boundary issue between Meghalaya and Assam without consideration and recourse to the Instrument of Accession will result in a constitutional crisis and the MDA and BJP will have to bear full responsibilities.
The HITO leaders said it is the constitutional duty of Meghalaya government to remove politics from any consideration of settlement of the boundary issue and the need to constitute an inter-state council as per the provisions of Article 263 for a settlement of the inter-state boundary between Meghalaya and Assam.
The organization also demanded that the government should increase compensation and support of the families of the five tribal Pnar people killed in the firing incident at Mukroh.
The financial savings from the cancellation of the festivals like the Cherry Blossom Festival should be released to support the families of the victims of Mukroh and give at least one member of their family a Government job.
