‘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.

Meghalaya NGOs want consistent power failure addressed

The joint action committee (JAC) of three NGOs from Ri-bhoi district which includes Meghalaya People’s Social Organization (MPSO), ka Ri-bhoi Youth Organization (RBYO) and the Meghalaya People’s United Front (MPUF) today met minister in-charge of power A. T Mondal to seek his intervention with regard to alleged consistent power failure in Ri-bhoi district.

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Speaking to media persons, Jackson Sohtun informed that the frequent power cuts in Ri-bhoi district has created a lot of inconvenience to the people of the region, especially to the students who are preparing their respective examination.

Sohtun alleged that the district is experiencing unscheduled timing of power cuts and this has caught the public unaware as there are no notifications from the power department with regard to the timing of loading or power cuts.

“We have met the minister in-charge of power to appraise him with regard to the frequent and unscheduled timing of power cuts which has created a lot of inconvenience to the people of the district,” said Sohtun.

He added that the JAC has urged the minister to look into the matter and to ask the department to come out with some kind of notice on the timing of load shedding for Ri-bhoi district.