Assam-Meghalaya border: Himanta says 2nd phase will be hardest

Shillong: While Meghalaya and Assam may have been able to find a resolution in the first phase of the border row that consist of six areas of differences, the question now arises whether both the governments will be able to resolve the second phase, which has the most complicated and most contested areas.

Speaking with mediapersons here in Shillong on Wednesday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma acknowledged that the second phase will be the hardest since it has areas like Langpih, Block 1 and Block 2.

Sarma said that they are hopeful to start discussion on the remaining 6 areas of differences somewhere between June and July.

Asked if any plans of revisiting the decision made for the first phase amid the criticism, the Assam CM said the agreement has been sealed and signed, and there is no plan to reopen it.

“There has been a demand from the Opposition in Assam to revisit but I have answered in the Assembly that the land belongs to India. As brothers and sisters, we have signed an agreement and we have come to a conclusion… so far as those 6 areas are concerned, we should not reopen the issue,” said Sarma.

“There will be individuals who will be unhappy but the nation should be happy… that should be our motive,” stated Sarma.

On the challenge of the second phase, he said, “We have created a goodwill among the states; now at least both the government and its citizens are not talking in terms of conflict but in terms of resolution of the conflict. We expect to start a dialogue for the second phase soon.”

He added that he was confident that at some point they will find a resolution for the second phase but it was difficult to answer when and how.

Asked for his comments on the criticism from the Opposition in Meghalaya, Sarma refused to comment saying that it is the duty of Meghalaya.

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