Shillong, July 3: The Hynniewtrep Border Disputes Redressal Forum has urged the Meghalaya Government to ensure that the Regional Committee examining the long-pending interstate boundary dispute in Block I and Block II strictly adheres to its Terms of Reference (ToR) while carrying out its work.
Led by its chairman, Chandame Sungoh, the forum on Friday submitted a memorandum to Conrad K. Sangma and Sniawbhalang Dhar, calling for a transparent, evidence-based and inclusive process in resolving the remaining areas of the Meghalaya–Assam border dispute.
Speaking to reporters at the Secretariat, Sungoh said the ToR mandates the committee to examine the status of villages using official Census records, including their ethnic composition, conduct field visits to every disputed village, engage with local residents, traditional heads, elected representatives of the Autonomous District Councils and other stakeholders, and document factual information on connectivity and access to administrative and public service centres.
He stressed that the committee should undertake extensive field inspections rather than relying solely on office-based deliberations. According to Sungoh, the Regional Committee that examined other disputed sectors had allegedly prepared its report without visiting every village, raising concerns about the accuracy and completeness of its findings.
The HBDRF chairman also urged the committee to take into account the 1958 government notification and the findings of the 1957 joint inspection carried out by Assam and the then administration. He claimed that the inspection had concluded that a majority of the area in Block I belonged to the Pnar people and recommended that it be restored to Meghalaya. Overlooking those historical records, he said, would undermine a fair assessment of the dispute.
As per the Meghalaya Government’s notified Terms of Reference, the Regional Committee has been tasked with examining the status of villages based on official Census records, including their ethnicity and demographic composition; conducting field visits to every village in the disputed areas; consulting local residents, traditional institutions, village authorities, Autonomous District Council representatives and other stakeholders; documenting the location of villages and their proximity to administrative headquarters, polling stations, schools, health centres and other government service delivery facilities; studying historical records, maps, notifications and related documentary evidence; and submitting a comprehensive report to both the Meghalaya and Assam governments to facilitate an amicable settlement of the remaining border disputes.
The HBDRF maintained that strict adherence to these guidelines would help ensure that the committee’s recommendations are transparent, fact-based and reflective of the aspirations and historical claims of the people living in the disputed border areas.
