A Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation led by Zenith M Sangma, vice-president of the party, visited Pillankata, Maikhuli, Barapathar and Yankuli villages on the Assam-Meghalaya border with Salmanpara MLA Winnerson de Sangma after signing a border agreement between the two states.
The delegation met with residents of Maikhuli in Ri Voi district at a public meeting. Visiting the border area, Ranskona TMC MLA Zenith M Sangma condemned Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma for supporting Assam Chief Minister Himanta Bishwa Sharma’s demand instead of listening to the voice of the people.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has signed a border agreement with Assam, ending a 50-year-old border dispute in six of the 12 states divided between the two states.
The chief ministers of the two states – Conrad K Sangma and Himanta Bishwa Sharma – signed the agreement in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
As residents of several villages along the border continue to protest, the opposition TMC has vowed to stand by the people of Maikhuli, who are vehemently opposed to the state government’s move to give Assam a part of the village.
The people of Maikhuli have opposed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Meghalaya and Assam because some parts of the village, including fish ponds, are being forcibly handed over to Assam.
“We will continue to work for the protection of the interests of our indigenous people and the people of the state,” Zenith M Sangma said after interacting with the villagers.
“The people of this area have maintained that they are not ready to share their land with the people of Assam. They want protection, they want help but the authorities are not coming to bail them out, ”he said.
Mentioning that Maikhuli village was under Scheduled Area even before Meghalaya got state status, the TMC leader said, “It was under designated area even under Assam government so that our lower caste tribals are not exploited by the people of the plains.”
He said the people living in the village were crying out for help as the people of Assam were trying to “take away their land”.
Condemning the MDA government for moving ahead with the signing of the MDA to resolve the six areas of differences with Assam, the Ranscona MLA said, “Now there are fears that if they implement it during the current parliamentary session, they will lose. Their land. “
“[However]On the floor of the House during the just-concluded budget session, the Chief Minister of Meghalaya assured the people that the decision would be taken only after listening to their voices whether they want to be part of Meghalaya or Assam.
But when we came to zero, we saw that the people living in the area were totally opposed to the decision to share part of the area with Assam, and neither the chief minister nor the cabinet came to see what was happening on behalf of the government. They are sitting in the AC room without looking at Ground Zero and Ground Reality. They have probably signed the MoU, ”he said.
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