SHILLONG, MAY 15: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) on Monday asked the state government to resolve the problems faced by the Khasi-Pnar community at Khanduli before going ahead with the border talks with Assam for resolving the remaining six areas of difference.
Speaking to media persons, KSU West Jaintia Hills District president Laitphar Syngkrem said the state government has not taken adequate steps to resolve the issue that led to the clash between the two communities – Karbi and Khasi-Pnar – at Khanduli village.
“We therefore demanded the state government to immediately resolve the problems faced by the Khasi-Pnar people before it decide to go ahead with the border talks with Assam,†he said.
Syngkrem claimed that such incident occurred when the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) had illegally set up toll gate at Khanduli village West Jaintia Hills which is under the jurisdiction of Meghalaya.
Syngkrem said that this illegal toll gate at Khanduli village which was uprooted by the residents had created a lot of confusion among the Khasi-Pnar of Meghalaya and even the Karbi community of Assam.
He added that after the toll gate was uprooted, there was peace between communities of both states but recently, the Karbi community had torched few huts and had prevented residents of Khanduli from going to their farm land which are under the jurisdiction of Meghalaya.
“After few huts were torched and when Khasi-Pnar were prevented from going to their farm lands, there were also fist fights between both community which compel the Khanduli Dorbar Shnong to ban all form of trade between Khasi-Pnar and Karbi community” said Syngkrem.
Syngkrem said that the union had met the district administration of both states but till date the Khasi-Pnar community especially the farmers are being harassed by the Karbi community as they are being prevented from going to their farm lands.
“We urged the state government and the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) to take up the matter with the Assam government and the KAAC to make sure that our brothers and sisters from Khanduli village are not harassed in the future” he added.