Shillong, Jul 16: On the eve of the 186th death anniversary of u Tirot Sing Syiemlieh the Federation of Khasi States (FKS) on Friday said that the recent news reports attributing to Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, in the Assembly that Meghalaya has intruded into the boundary of Assam, is wrong.
John F Kharshiing spokesperson of the FKS said that the Chief Minister Assam has been misled by officials of the state of Assam, as they may not be aware of the unique history of the Khasi States.
“Similar to what we have found for so many years that a number of officials both in the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the State Government of Meghalaya, even after having received tons of memorandums from the Grand Council of Chiefs of Meghalaya and the Federation of Khasi States, continue, in lack of knowledge on the history and constitutional anomalies that exist within the Constitution of India vis a vis the Khasi States,†Kharshiing said.
He said that when discussing or negotiating regarding the boundary dispute between Meghalaya and Assam, it is critical for the Meghalaya government and its leaders especially from Khasi and Jaiñtia Hills to clearly understand this aspect as it is directly interconnected to the boundary of Meghalaya created only in 1972.
“All discussions especially relating to the boundary of the Khasi States must be on the unique historical facts and basis of the treaty terms clause 1,2,3,4, and 5 of the IOA & AA of the Khasi States,†Kharshiing said.
Urging the centre to intervene into the matter the spokesperson of the FKS said that the people of the Khasi states eagerly awaits the pending extension and implementation of the ILP as per the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) 1873, the urgent amendment of the SC & ST (Amendment) Act 1976, the need for action by the centre on the numerous resolutions from the Meghalaya Assembly which are pending till date and the need to further amend and strengthen the Meghalaya Transfer of Land (Regulation) Act 1971.
