New Delhi: Days after Assam and Meghalaya Chief Ministers submitted documents relating to the border settlement between the two States to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Congress party on Monday said that any resolution of the border issue need Parliament's nod. Congress also said that it will also approach the Supreme Court.
"Both Assam and Meghalaya share a constitutional boundary, not a historical boundary. Therefore, a permanent solution of decades-long border dispute needs the assent of the Parliament," said senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP from Assam Ripun Bora to ETV Bharat.
Bora said that apart from raising the issue in the coming session of the Parliament, Congress will also approach the Supreme Court over the issue.
"We will definitely raise the issue in the Parliament as any solution of the boundary dispute should be constitutional," asserts Bora.
He recalled that it was in 1985, the Assam and Meghalaya government assigned Justice YV Chandrachud to lead a committee for boundary demarcation between the two States.
"The committee also rejected some of the claims and recommendations of the Meghalaya government," said Bora.
After the creation of Meghalaya, the Chief Ministers of both the States held a lot of discussions, "but there was no consensus over the boundary issue."
"Suddenly you (Assam CM) give your own land to another State which is not at all acceptable. We also want a solution but that should not be at the cost of Assam's interest," said Bora.
Following continuous pursuance by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma, both the States agreed to settle their boundary disputes.
"There is a topographical survey report which can ascertain our claim that the Chief Minister (Himanta Biswa Sarma) is giving away Assam's land to Meghalaya," claimed Bora.
However, the settlement being worked upon by both the Chief Ministers have also been opposed by many Garo villages living along the Assam-Meghalaya border.
In a recent memorandum submitted to Assam Chief Minister, representatives of the Garo villages claim that Parliament had passed the Assam Re-organisation (Meghalaya) Act 1969 and the Northeastern Areas Re-organisation Act 1971 to pave the way for the formation of Meghalaya within the State of Assam.
"The boundaries of Assam and Meghalaya had been well-defined under subsection (i) and (ii) of the Assam Reorganisation (Meghalaya) Act 1969. Therefore any act or attempt to alter the boundary of the two States will require the intervention of the Parliament as per provision of Article 3 of the Constitution of India," the representatives from the Garo community said.
Over the years both States witnessed several skirmishes between various communities. Meghalaya was carved out of Assam in 1972.
Assam and Meghalaya share a border area of 885 km.
