SHILLONG, JUNE 24: Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) on Tuesday proposed to serve an ultimatum to the Congress led state government to immediately address grievances of the people living in the disputed inter-state border with Assam and also provide adequate security.
KHADC’s Chief Executive Member (CEM) Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit proposed on the floor of the council during the ongoing session on Tuesday, “We should serve an ultimatum to the state government and pressurize on the need to address the atrocities and harassment meted out on the local people residing in the border besides providing adequate security to them,”.
Replying to a motion raised by Mawhati Independent MDC James Sylliang, Basaiawmoit said there is an urgent need for a joint delegation consisting of members from the ruling and opposition to meet the state government on this issue.
Basaiawmoit thundered, “If the state government fails to do anything, we will exercise our democratic rights even if we have to take the matter to the street as our people have suffered enough due to the failure of the government to resolve the age old boundary dispute.”
Earlier while moving the motion, James Sylliang, who is also a former leader of the proscribed HNLC ,informed the council that the people residing in Block II area are facing lots of problems due to continuous harassment and atrocities from the across Assam, especially from militant outfits operating from that state.
“People are being victimized due to rampant extortion drives by the Assam based militant outfit – KLP,” Sylliang said while urging the executive committee to take up the matter with the state government to provide security and protection to them.
According to Sylliang, the border villagers are served with demand notes by the militants ranging from Rs 2000 per household to Rs 50, 000 to small farmers and traders threatening them to kill if they did not comply.
“Even the headmen were threatened by the outfit in case their residents’ fails to pay the amount demanded,” Sylliang informed the council.
Basaiawmoit, however, lamented that the people as well as the state government have been soft on the harassment issue. He said,“Out of frustration, I had earlier suggested to the state government that why not equip the local villagers residing in the border with weapons if the government is incapable to provide security and protection to them while the issue of the boundary dispute is yet to be resolved.”
According to Basaiawmoit the people have every right to defend themselves from such atrocities. He said,“The spirit to fight back is the need of the hour.”
On the proposed suggestion, opposition leader Pynsngainlang N Syiem said there is a need to constitute a committee on border to attend to the grievances faced by the people living in the border.
Basaiawmoit said the suggestion can be examined but also added that issue requires quick action to instill confident on the people of the border areas even as he opined that meeting the government will not require constituting a committee.”
Basaiawmoit informed that EC will soon convene a meeting on the proposed joint delegation to meet the state government on this particular issue.- By Our Reporter
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