HYC terms border agreement signed between Meghalaya-Assam “illegal”

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaApril 8, 2022

The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) on Friday alleged that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and settlement agreement signed by the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government with Assam for resolving the six areas of difference without the consent of the stakeholders including land owners, to be “illegal”.

“The MoU and settlement agreement between Meghalaya and Assam without taking the consent of the land owners, traditional institutions and the district council is illegal and is against the customary practices of the indigenous people,” HYC general secretary Roykupar Synrem said in a statement.

“We will never accept this illegal act of the state government as it has to a great extent affected the tribal lands,” he added.

Meghalaya and Assam had signed the MoU to end the dispute in 6 of the 12 areas of difference in New Delhi on March 29, in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Stating that the state government does not own any land in Meghalaya except those it had acquired or donated by the people, Synrem said as per section 41 of the  Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, the state government has to get the consent of the land owner and the district council before acquiring land in tribal areas of the state.

“Whether the state government has the authority to give 18.46 sq km of land to Assam without getting the consent of the land owners, traditional institutions and the district council?” he asked.

He also reminded that the Khasi states had merged with India by signing the Instrument of Accession & Annexed Agreement. Accordingly in paragraph 20 of the Sixth Schedule, protection has been given to tribal lands.

“Now whether the decision of the Meghalaya government to sign the MoU and agreement is against the spirit of the IOA&AA and Sixth Schedule?” he said.

Meanwhile, the HYC has also expressed surprise at the stands of the MDA partners which include the BJP, UDP, PDF and HSPDP, to oppose the MoU and seek for revisiting the agreement.

“The question which arises now is whether the MoU and the agreement have been signed without the consent of the coalition partners of the MDA or is it because these parties have regretted after finding that the MoU is full of flaws or is it their concerns just an eye wash to fool the people,” he said.The HYC leader said that the council demands the state government to consider revisiting the MoU and the settled agreement.