SHILLONG: As Meghalaya and Assam prepare to enter the crucial second phase of border talks to resolve the remaining six areas of dispute, the Hynniewtrep Border Dispute Redressal Forum (HBDDF) has formally petitioned the state government, demanding a meticulous, firsthand approach to the complex issue.
The forum has submitted a comprehensive memorandum to Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and the Chairman of the Regional Committee, Sniawbhalang Dhar, urging them to ensure that the upcoming regional committee reports for the highly sensitive Block I and Block II areas are backed by rigorous, physical inspections rather than bureaucratic assumptions.
The development follows a recent Meghalaya government notification issued on June 27, 2026, which officially constituted a new Regional Committee tasked with addressing the remaining unresolved border sectors.
While addressing media personnel, HBDDF Chairman Chandame Sungoh expressed the forum’s sincere gratitude to the state government for its proactive stance and sustained commitment toward resolving the long-pending interstate border friction.
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Following the notification, the forum immediately moved its representation to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar—who also heads the Regional Committee for West Jaintia Hills—and the Deputy Commissioner of West Jaintia Hills, who serves as the committee’s convenor, to underscore the critical need for an exhaustive regional review.
However, the forum’s appreciation is tempered with deep caution rooted in past administrative shortcomings. Sungoh observed that while the terms and conditions outlined in the new government notification are well-formulated on paper, the historical execution of these guidelines leaves much to be desired.
He recalled that during the first phase of the border resolution process under the MDA-I administration, identical guidelines were issued, yet the previous Regional Committee failed to implement them effectively on the ground.
In a scathing critique of past procedures, Sungoh highlighted that previous officials completely avoided entering deep into Block I and failed to physically visit critical, flashpoint areas such as Borato and Mukroh. Instead of conducting exhaustive field assessments, the former committee allegedly shifted the heavy administrative burden of compiling report details entirely onto the local residents. Having witnessed this lapse firsthand while participating in the preparation of those earlier documents, the HBDDF Chairman remarked that it was a stroke of fortune that Block I and Block II were not finalised during that initial phase, given the glaring lack of direct official oversight.
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To prevent a repetition of these critical mistakes, the HBDDF has strongly urged the Chairman of the Regional Committee and senior officials to step out of their administrative hubs. The forum has made it clear that a sensitive interstate dispute cannot be effectively managed or resolved remotely from office spaces in Shillong or Jowai. The memorandum explicitly calls on committee leadership to personally conduct extensive field inspections, interface directly with border residents, listen to their grievances, and evaluate the geopolitical reality of the borderlands firsthand before drafting the final reports.
This renewed push for accuracy comes at a crucial juncture. Having successfully signed a memorandum of understanding for the first six disputed areas in the first phase, both the Assam and Meghalaya governments are now under immense pressure to ensure the remaining six sectors—including the highly volatile Block I and Block II—are settled through a fair, transparent, and legally sound process that respects the ground realities of the indigenous populace.
(4Front Media news)
