A Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation led by party vice president Zenith M Sangma along with Salmanpara legislator Winnerson D Sangma visited Pillangkata, Maikhuli, Barapathar and iongkuli villages along the Assam-Meghalaya border a day after the two states signed a boundary agreement.
The delegation met the residents of Maikhuli in Ri Bhoi district during a public meeting. Visiting the border areas, Zenith M Sangma, TMC legislator from Rangsakona, slammed Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma for not listening to the voice of the people but rather endorsing the claim made by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma signed the boundary pact with Assam, ending the 50-year-old boundary dispute in six of 12 areas shared between the two states.
The chief ministers of the two states – Conrad K Sangma and Himanta Biswa Sarma – signed the agreement in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
As residents of several villages along the border continue to protest, Opposition TMC vowed to stand by the people of Maikhuli, who are strongly opposing the state government’s move to give some portion of the village to Assam.
The people of Maikhuli have opposed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Meghalaya and Assam as some portion of the village, including fisheries pond, are being forcefully given to Assam.
“We will move forward to protect the interest of our indigenous people and people of the state,” Zenith M Sangma said after interacting with villagers.
“People of this area have maintained that they are not ready to share their piece of land with people of Assam. They want protection, they want help but the people in authority are not coming to bail them out,” he said.
Stating that Maikhuli village was under Schedule area even before Meghalaya got its statehood, the TMC leader said, “This was under schedule area even when it was under Assam government so that our downtrodden tribal people will not get exploited by the plain people.”
He said people residing in this village have been crying for help as people from Assam are trying to “snatch away their lands”.
Slamming the MDA government for going ahead with the signing of the MoU for resolving the six areas of difference with Assam, the Rangsakona legislator said, “Now the apprehension is that if during this ongoing parliament session they will enact this, they are going to lose their land.”
“[However], in the floor of the House in the just concluded budget session, the Meghalaya CM assured hearing the will of the people, whether they want to be part of Meghalaya or Assam by hearing their voice then only decision will made
But when we come to ground zero, we found that people residing in this area they are completely against the decision of parting the portion of this area with Assam and no one from government side CM or any cabinet minister have come to see what is happening in the ground zero and without looking at the ground reality they are doing the paperwork sitting in the AC rooms probably they have signed the MoU,” he said.
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