2nd round of border talks in October: CM

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 20: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today informed that the border talks with Assam for resolving the remaining six areas of difference will take place in the first week or second week of October.

Replying to a zero-hour notice moved by VPP MLA from Nongkrem Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit in the Assembly, Sangma said the Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was recently in Shillong for a function and held a closed-door discussion with him regarding the border issue.

“We had decided a few things in that meeting and we will formally take those decisions forward in the next official meeting to be held sometime in the first or second week of October,” he said.

Sangma said after the meeting that the chief ministers of the two states would also visit Khanduli and other areas to send the message of peace.

“I and the Assam chief minister intend to visit Khanduli and other areas and the exact locations, we are yet to finalise. We will have a meeting in that area to meet the concerned stakeholders and ensure we send a message of peace.”

He said that the meeting held in Shillong was very productive and both states are looking forward to implementing the important decisions taken in the upcoming meeting to be held in October.

Earlier, Basaiawmoit condemned the statement of the Karbi Students Association (KSA) that a Manipur-like situation may occur if they lose their land and said, “The statement made by the leader of KSA is sufficient enough to create disharmony in the border areas.”

He also wanted to know whether the state government has taken this matter with its counterpart in order to ensure the maintenance of harmony in the border area.

To this, the Chief Minister said while the regional committee meeting was still in progress on August 16, the Karbi Students Association (KSA) came to the venue and met the regional committee members after the meeting concluded.

Thereafter, the president of KSA appeared before the media and it was during the said briefing that the president stated that “a Manipur-like situation may occur if we lose our lands, warn KSA”.

He however said, “This matter was not entertained by the Assam Minister, Piyush Hazarika who rebuked the person stating that such a statement should not be made to aggravate the situation. The minister mentioned that the aim of the committee is to bring peace and harmony between the two communities and to find out the best possible solution to resolve the border issues.”

He informed that earlier on August 30, 2023, the Jaintia Students’ Movement and KSA held a meeting in Diphu, East Karbi Anglong District, Assam in which they discussed the parameters to bring peace and normalcy along the Assam-Meghalaya border.

During the meeting, the Students Committee for Peace Initiative was formed and the committee will work on how to bring back life to normal on the interstate border and ease the communal tension.

They had also decided that representatives of the two NGOs would visit the border villages along with village elders. Further, it was decided that a similar meeting will be convened in Jowai in the coming days.

The main purpose of the meeting is to find ways and means to end the turmoil in the border areas.

Stating that as of date, the situation in the area is under close watch, the chief minister assured that all efforts are being put into ensuring that law and order in the area will not be breached adding that the district police are on high alert and regular patrolling is being conducted in and around the area.

The police are also regularly meeting the village elders and the general public, appealing to them to maintain peace and tranquillity in the area.

He informed that sufficient force has been deployed in Khanduli, Lapngap, Saitsama Outpost and Nartiang police station to deal with the law and order situation in the area.

“Apart from these efforts, there is also constant communication and coordination with the counterparts of Assam to maintain law and order in the area and most importantly to ensure that normalcy in the area is not disrupted,” he added.

Meanwhile, Sangma informed the House that the government of the day is working tirelessly towards ensuring that peace and harmony prevail along the inter-state border, and the issue of border conflicts are resolved permanently.

He said one of the endeavours of the government of the day is the sanctioning of 7 border outposts which are the Rani-Jirang BOP in Ri Bhoi, Langpih BOP and Umwali BOP in West Khasi Hills, Mooriap BOP in East Jaintia Hills, Tihwieh BOP and Mukroh BOP in West Jaintia Hills.

The creation of these BOPs has greatly contributed towards the prevention of border conflicts and most importantly, has augmented the strength of police officials in the field.

Further, Sangma said that “the initiative of the government of the day to resolve the border disputes in six areas of difference during the first phase of border settlement and the ongoing second phase of border settlement between the two states, is a testament to the fact that the government of the day is committed to ensuring peace and tranquillity prevails in the border areas and that border disputes are resolved permanently”.

‘Confrontation’ will not resolve border issue: CM

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 14: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today said issues related to the long pending boundary dispute with Assam can only be resolved through discussion and dialogue but not through confrontation.

His statement came after the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) Laban Circle had threatened to close down the Karbi Hemtun (Guest House) if the Karbi people and Assam government continue to illegally encroach and harass Khasi people in West Jaintia Hills District.

The Karbi Hemtun was inaugurated jointly by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Meghalaya Chief Minister on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters at the sidelines of a function, Sangma said that confrontation is not the solution.

“We are in India and obviously we have to work and discuss matters and live in peace and harmony. There are challenges, there are complications which we have to work out but it cannot be worked out by confrontation. Solutions can only come with discussion and dialogue, with understanding and trust and hence we need to ensure that we build that trust with our counterparts, be firmed with our negotiations and our terms, find ways in which we can accommodate each other and obviously in important occasions like these, these are trust-building measures,” he said.

He added, “So tomorrow you want to put up a Meghalaya House in Assam or Guwahati and if somebody says well you cannot do it, I don’t think that is a trust-building mechanism.”

“Yes, I am not saying that there are no concerns, there are concerns but to resolve those concerns, confrontation is not the solution. We need to work together to build trust and in an amicable manner move forward and that is what the message was yesterday (during the inauguration of the Karbi House),” the CM said.

Meanwhile, Sangma informed that the chief ministers of Assam and Meghalaya will finalise a firm program related to the second phase of border talks, in the next couple of days.

AIM against gambling in melas

The Awakening Indian Movement (AIM) has sought the intervention of the deputy commissioner of East Khasi Hills district to ensure a blanket ban on gambling at melas being organized by different agencies.

Speaking to media persons, chairman of AIM Bansharai Marbaniang said that many people from other part of the country come to Meghalaya to host various kinds of melas, however these melas have games that encourage gambling with money which is detrimental and have a negative impact on the welfare of the people.

Marbaniang alleged that melas throughout the country are being held in order to provide entertainment to all citizens where they can experience happiness especially for children, students, and youth but at present melas in Meghalaya are being held with gambling which have detrimental and a negative impact on the welfare of the people.

“During our visit to the mela held at the Parking Lot outside Polo Ground in Shillong, the mela hosted various gambling activities with money and young people and students in uniform participated in various gambling games” said Marbaniang.

Marbaniang said that AIM is not against organizing melas in the state, however it stands against the act of gambling that is being held at the venues hence the AIM sought the intervention into this matter.

Govt wants to turn Khyndailad into a pedestrian zone

Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh today said that the state government is committed to declaring Khyndailad a pedestrian zone.

“Our commitment will be to have at least one pedestrian zone immediately and that is Khyndailad. I also had a meeting with the Chief Minister and he is fully in line with the need to declare Khyndailad as a pedestrian zone,” Lyngdoh told reporters.

He said some access to local residents which will be on the basis of car passes will be issued but the entire area will be pedestrianized.

He said that the people who suffered most in Shillong are pedestrians as you have hawkers, you have motorists using every way and there is limited scope for people to walk around.

The minister further informed that they have already started declaration of parts of Shillong as no-honking zones.

“We are in the process. The district administration and the police are in constant touch and from the tourism department, we already started by declaring Orchid, Umiam as a no-honking zone and similarly, other units of the tourism department will also be declared as no honking zones because the USP of Meghalaya is the serenity, the quiet which is disturbed by loud honking and loud music which sometimes carries beyond permissible hours,” he added.

Clans want amendment of property succession Act

Different tribal Clans have expressed support to the demand for amendment of the Meghalaya Succession to Self-Acquired Property (Khasi and Jaintia Special Provision) Act, 1986.

This was informed by Maitshaphrang Convener Michael Syiem after a meeting held with the different Clans (or Kur) at Jaiaw Shyiap community hall here.

The meeting was jointly organized with three other organizations – Khasi Students’ Union, Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People and Hynniewtrep National Youth Front as part of their campaign to pressurize the state government to bring the necessary amendment to the Act.

The objective of the amendment was to ensure the ‘equitable’ or ‘fair and just’ distribution of property among siblings in a matrilineal society.

“The Clans who attended the meeting today have expressed support to our demand and they have informed that they will be organizing similar meetings within their clans to discuss the issue before taking a final decision on the matter,” Syiem told reporters.

The State Assembly passed the Meghalaya Succession to Self-Acquired Property (Khasi and Jaintia Special Provision) Act, 1986 and received the Governor’s accent in 1986. The Act provides a special provision enabling the Khasis and the Jaintias to dispose of self-acquired property by will to any of their children.

“But when the children inherit this self-acquired property of the parents, it becomes ancestral and this ancestral goes back to the youngest daughter. So we will feel that we need an amendment to this to include self-acquired property and ancestral property as well in this Act,” Syiem had earlier said.

“Another amendment we want is that the word ‘equitable’ should also be inserted in this Act so that the parents can equitably will away their property to any of their children not necessarily only to the woman or the younger daughter,” he had stated.

The social activist had also said, “Equitable does not mean equal. Equitable according to the dictionary means fair and just so it depends on the parents to give to whom and how much. We feel that this word ‘equitable’ should also be inserted in the 1986 Act.”