Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said he is likely to meet his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma next week in Guwahati for the second round of border talks.
Sangma said on May 16 that the logistics were being worked out and the meeting would likely be scheduled on May 24.
Sagma stated, “The chief minister of Assam and myself and committee members are expected to meet on the 24th of this month so that will be the first meeting in Guwahati. We are still waiting for full confirmation but tentatively both have agreed. The logistics are being worked out and if everything falls into place, we are expected to meet on the 24th of this month”.
Sagma said he is in touch with Sarma over the altercations that happened on May 12 in Kahnduli village. It’s one of the villages in the disputed Block I and Block II at the interstate border.
Block I consists of Upper Tarabari, Gazang reserve forest, Hahim, Langpih, Borduar, Boklapara, Nongwah, Matamur, Khanapara-Pilangkata, Deshdemoreah and Block II consists of Khanduli and Retacherra.
Sangma stated, “We are very concerned about the incidents that took place. We appeal for peace and harmony in these areas but ultimately in order to ensure that we can find permanent peace, the solution to this border issue is the only way forward.”
While speaking on last week’s incidence of arson, where two huts were set on fire at Khanduli village in West Jaintia Hills District (Block I), he said, “We appeal for peace. There are too many things that are happening on both sides. We will go to ground zero to find a solution to the problems”.
Last year, the two chief ministers signed an agreement to resolve differences in six disputed areas in March. This agreement was signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi.
It is to be noted that, during the Assam-Mizoram border row that erupted in July 2021, leading to the death of six Assam Police personnel, tensions were already brewing at the Assam-Meghalaya border in the Umlafar area of Assam’s West Karbi Anglong district. After that, the Assam Chief Minister, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, along with Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma, took the initiative and decided to start settling the “less complicated” areas of the dispute first along the 884.9 km border.
On March 29 2022, both Assam and Meghalaya Governments signed a historic agreement in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the Ministry of Home Affairs office.
The Governments of Assam and Meghalaya had come up with a draft resolution to resolve their border disputes in six of the 12 “areas of difference” along the 884 km boundary. According to the proposed recommendations for the 36.79 square km of land, Assam will keep 18.51 square km and give the remaining 18.28 square km to Meghalaya.
Now likely on May 24 2023, the chief ministers of both states will begin their second round of border talks in Assam’s state capital Guwahati.
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