Our Correspondent
Diphu, Aug. 18 (EMN): Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC), Karbi Students' Association (KSA) and Karbi Nimso Chingthur Asong (KNCA) jointly held a press conference to pressurise the state government to end the inter-state boundary issues at ASDC conference hall on Tuesday.
In a memorandum addressed to the CM of Assam, ASDC President Chandra Kanta Terang urged the Chief Minister, Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma to end the inter-state boundary problem between Meghalaya and West Karbi Anglong and Nagaland and Karbi Anglong of Assam, adding that they also oppose the principle of ‘Give and Take’ policy adopted in the CM-level meeting held at Shillong on July 24.
"Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong (Mikir Hills district) have nothing to take from Meghalaya and Nagaland as the people of both Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong have not encroached their land since 1951. Therefore, the boundary of Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong as demarcated and notified by the then govt. of Assam TAD department on April 13, 1951 should be adhered. Unfortunately, the lands of both the districts have been encroached continuously by Nagaland and Meghalaya during the last 40 years. However, the successive governments of Assam have not taken up the matter seriously", Terang lamented.
Terang pointed out that in last 40 years the government of Meghalaya has constructed many roads and buildings inside West Karbi Anglong with the permission of the govt. of Assam, which is a violation of the constitutional boundary demarcated and notified in 1951 and adopted in 1977 during the creation of Meghalaya state.
"On the other hand, the government of Meghalaya and its people always disturb the construction of roads, BOP buildings and other developmental activities taken up by KAAC. It is the sole responsibility of the government of Assam to protect and develop the inter-state border areas. If the government will not protect the boundary of Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong then leave it to the people of the two hill districts to protect the boundary and develop their own land", the ASDC president said.
Terang said that no record of the altercation was found during the demarcation and notification made in the year 1951. Moreover, the Mikir Hills district constitutional boundaries notified in the year 1951 was accepted by the people of Nagaland during the creation of Nagaland state in 1962 and the people of Meghalaya also accepted the same peacefully during the creation of Meghalaya state in 1972. Therefore, the question of ‘Give and take policy’ does not arise.
"Therefore we urge the government of Assam to evict all encroachers in the inter-state border areas and seize all structures and establishments made inside Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong either by the public of Meghalaya or Nagaland in presence of Central government authority. Then conduct a joint survey of Assam-Meghalaya and Assam-Nagaland in presence of survey of India, and erect border pillars where it has been damaged by encroachers and protect border areas by increasing the number of Assam police battalions in all BOPs", he added.