Border talks: 26 Jaintia villages write to officials to remain in Meghalaya

At least 26 villages in disputed Meghalaya's Jaintia Hills have written to the state government voicing their concern at the possibility of being "given away" to the neighbouring state of Assam, officials said.

At a meeting held on Friday, village elders from 26 villages under an umbrella organization called Labang Nongphyllut Pangam Raliang Area Committee (LNPRAC) at Lamarang village, resolved to remain in Meghalaya.

Block I in Jaintia Hills district and Block II in Ri-Bhoi district are part of the 6 areas with more complicated differences between Assam and Meghalaya that will be resolved during the second round of border talks.

The other four areas are Langpih, Borduar, Nongwah-Mawtamur and Psiar- Khanduli.

LNPRAC adviser Erwin Sutnga told PTI : Village elders from at least 26 villages in the area have met me. They have written to the state government of Meghalaya on their desire to remain within the jurisdiction of the state.

He said that another 10 villages will also soon submit their resolution on the issue.

According to Sutnga, the villages under Block I and Block II were originally under the United Khasi-Jaintia Hills district and followed the land ownership and the jurisdiction of the tribal chiefs (Syiems).

He however, said a notification by the then Assam Governor in April 1951 creating another district the then Mikir Hills (now the Karbi Anglong district) resulted in some of these villages being transferred to the then new district.

Several objections to the transfer of villages went unheard and have remained unresolved till date, he said.

Meanwhile, at least two persons were injured along the Assam-Meghalaya border at Jatong village in the disputed Block II area when unidentified miscreants attacked, officials said.

The incident took place Friday evening and following the attack, police personnel from both Meghalaya and Assam arrived at Jatalong to disperse the crowd that had gathered there, they said. The area has been tense for some time.

Today, a magistrate from the district headquarter of Nongpoh in Ri-Bhoi district was also deputed to monitor the situation, a senior district official said.