Hoping that the border dispute issue will be resolved before the celebration of the 75th anniversary of independence, BJP MLA in Meghalaya Alexander Lalu Hek, who is also a cabinet minister in the NPP-led MDA government in the state, is trying to break the ice. Huh. Between the new government of Assam and the government of Meghalaya.
The complex border dispute issue is a decades-old problem between Assam and Meghalaya and needs an amicable solution. Now Heck has taken upon himself the task of starting official talks with the Assam government on the interstate border line.
He met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati on Saturday and discussed the resumption of CM level talks between these two states.
Interestingly, the MLA has included the regional party United Democratic Party (UDP) in his effort, as the BJP along with the UDP has decided to go ahead with resolving the issues. A delegation of the United Democratic Party (UDP), the regional party coalition in the ruling MDA government in Meghalaya, led by its working president Bindo M Lanong, and its leader Jamino Mawthoh called on Monday to discuss the complicated border dispute issue with Heck. .
“UDP and BJP are both part of the state government, we are not separate from the MDA government, we are only one….We are concerned about the border dispute in our state. So, I personally met Himanta Biswa to sort out the issue,” the health minister said on Monday.
He also said that the regional party UDP and BJP are in discussions to work jointly to find a solution before going ahead.
“This is the intention of the NDA government under the leadership of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. They want to settle the issue before our country celebrates its independence,” Heck said, adding that it also aims to get the ball rolling ahead of the state’s golden jubilee celebrations.
Meanwhile, UDP working president Bindo M Lanong said, “Last year we had met the chief minister on this matter. We had a joint delegation of UDP and HSPDP and we met the Chief Minister on two or three issues. One of the issues is about the boundary and we gave it in writing to the Chief Minister and requested him to take up the matter with the then Chief Minister of Assam. I hope they raised it as we did not get any response from them after that.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah in January urged all states in the region to resolve their border disputes by August 15, 2022, when the country celebrates 75 years of independence.
Praising Chief Minister Konrad Sangma, UDP leader Gemino Mawthoh said, “Whether it is official or informal, the process of talks is going on. This is a long pending issue that needs to be resolved.”
He also said that the contentious issue has affected inter-state relations.
Meanwhile, the National People’s Party-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government has decided to start on a clean slate by resolving the complicated border dispute.
“With the new leadership in Assam, a very positive mindset and good relations with the Meghalaya leadership, we are hopeful that we will find an amicable solution,” Sangma told reporters on Monday.
Emphasizing on the need to go through all the documents with an open mind, Sangma said, “We will start with a clean slate as the aim is not to find faults but to find solutions.”
Describing the issue as very serious, Sangma said, “I again emphasize the need for an amicable solution which is acceptable to both the parties. We are ready to discuss whatever process allows us to achieve that goal.”
“We have a new leadership in Assam, so now let’s move things forward, let there be an official meeting first… Let’s start the whole process afresh and in this new beginning we will think of all options,” he said. added.
The chief minister said it was impossible for him to say with certainty whether the chief minister-level border talks would be successful during his tenure.
“However, it is important to realize that as a leader we need to decide on certain things and move on. History will judge us at this moment whether we decide or not. Therefore, we need to look at the bigger picture. We as a government will do whatever it takes to take this discussion forward and find an amicable solution but then if the solution is not acceptable to our people and us, then we will remedy the situation and cause Meghalaya to suffer. Will not allow it. He assured.
Responding to the Centre’s request to resolve the border dispute between the northeastern states by next year, the chief minister said it would all depend on how the border talks progress.
“Yes, it was the wish of the Union Home Minister that before the 75th year of independence of the country, all these issues should not only be with Meghalaya and Assam. But Assam and other states should also be resolved. So it will be our endeavor to resolve it within this time frame. But it all depends on how the talks progress, how we handle the situation,” he said.
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