Guwahati: At a time when both Assam and Meghalaya have, more or less, arrived at a consensus to resolve the border row in six areas, opinions differ in regard to their choice of residence among villagers under West Gauhati constituency along the inter-state border.
Such a ‘divide’, not quite a ‘crisis’ as of now, is noticeable particularly in remote villages such as Mateshor, Longsai, Umsur, et al, about 70 km from here, in Kamrup district.
Throwing light on the ground situation, Gojen Rabha, the sattradhikar of Mateshor Sattra, told EastMojo that the Mateshor area is primarily inhabited by people from the Rabha community with a population of about 5,000.
“Almost all are Vaishnavites and have for decades been following the religious and socio-cultural teachings of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev. However, people here have been deprived of the benefits of various schemes of the Assam government for decades together,” Rabha said.
“On the contrary, they are getting benefits from Meghalaya such as roads, houses under government schemes and even job cards. As such, some, fed up with the state of things, have expressed their willingness to be with Meghalaya (as part of the give-and-take border row resolution mechanism),” Rabha said.
He, however, said that with regard to electricity, education and healthcare, the residents “are availing the facilities from Assam as they have no option”.
“There are a few LP schools in Meghalaya but most of the students have been studying in Assamese-medium schools for decades. Regarding healthcare, there is no hospital in the Meghalaya border, so residents are catered to by health centres in Assam. But in general, they are fed up with the neglect and apathy shown by the Assam government over the years. The local MLA, too, has promised much but delivered less,” Rabha alleged.
He, however, said that a “majority from the Rabha community” want to be with Assam because their culture, identity, language are part of the greater Assamese society.
“Our children study in Assamese-medium schools,” he added.
The situation is the same in Longsai, which is not too far away, and houses the nearly 200-year-old Netwajapa Sattra. Longsai has a population of about 1200, all from the Rabha community.
Bijoy Rabha, the sattradhikar of Netwajapa Sattra, too, spoke in the same vein, expressing concern over the uncertain situation as the talks between the two states are in its final stages with regard to the six disputed areas.
The give-and-take policy of the border row resolution mechanism is based on key parameters such as local aspirations and sentiments along with historical significance, geographical contiguity and administrative convenience.
Over the decades, sections from the Rabha community, who were Hindus, have converted to Christianity.
“These sections, along with people from the Garo community in the border villages such as Umsur, aspire to be with Meghalaya for obvious reasons. Then again, there are ASHA workers and teachers/staff from Assam working in schools located in Meghalaya, who wish to be with Meghalaya,” Akhil Mahanta, vice-president of Asom Sattra Mahasabha, told EastMojo.
A good portion of Umsur, which houses the Kalia Gosai Sattra, Mahanta feels, might go to Meghalaya. “Umsur is located separately with a population who follow Christianity,” he adds.
Representatives of the Mahasabha had carried out an extensive ground survey along the border areas from Rani in Kamrup district to South Salmara near the Bangladesh border, and interacted with various indigenous Vaishnavite communities such as Rabha, Hajong and Koch, etc.
One of the key findings of the survey was that a sizeable population of border villagers (belonging to the Vaishnavite sect) “is ready to be with Meghalaya for the benefits they have been enjoying over the years and the apathy shown by Assam”.
“The residents allege that the state government released any scheme/funds for development. Besides, they have been deprived of ration cards, job cards, funds under the PM-Kisan scheme and benefits under PM Awas Yojana,” Mahanta said.
“Last year, as many as 8000 sattras and naamghars of Assam were provided funds under a scheme to uplift the Vaishnavite monasteries and prayer houses. But barring one or two, none of the sattras and namghars in the border areas availed any benefit,” he alleged.
MLA claim
Five-time MLA from West Gauhati, Ramendra Narayan Kalita, on the other hand, opines that forest rules have hindered the development of the villages along the Assam-Meghalaya boundary, prompting some fringe dwellers of the state to side with the neighbouring state.
Kalita, an MLA of the border constituency since 1985, and one of the members of the regional committees of Assam on border issues, has taken opinions from people during interactions.
He said that the Assam government cannot provide land patta in forest areas. “Nor can it develop villages in forest areas due to forest rules. However, the forest rules in Meghalaya are different from ours. They provide land patta, power connections and water supply to villagers in forest areas. They construct roads to fringe villages,” Kalita said.
According to reports, out of the 1.57 sq km disputed area in Bakhlapara (primarily a Garo-inhabited border area under West Gauhati constituency), 1.01 sq km will be a part of Assam, while the remaining 0.56 sq km will go to Meghalaya.
Mahasabha assertion
Asom Sattra Mahasabha (ASM), the umbrella organisation for sattras (Vaishnavite monasteries) of Assam, asserted that the Mahasabha would, under no circumstances, allow Assam to part with land housing two sattras in West Guwahati constituency, namely Mateshor Satra at Mateshor and Netwajapa Satra (nearly 200 years old) at Longsai.
The Mahasabha had also threatened to launch an agitation, and even move Gauhati High Court “if border areas under sattras of the state are handed over to Meghalaya as part of the give-and-take agreement to resolve the decades-long inter-state border row”.
Mahasabha sources had earlier expressed concern over the threat of a “considerable portion of land housing two sattras and over 20 naamghars (Vaishnavite prayer houses) along the Assam-Meghalaya border going to the neighbouring state.
Mahasabha general secretary Kusum Kumar Mahanta has appealed to the Assam government to “introspect, safeguard the identity of the Vaishnavite Assamese communities and ensure that the villages inhabited by these communities on the interstate border are retained in Assam”.
“In case the decision to hand over the same under the agreement stands, we will appeal to organisations and people to join us and take the agitation route. If things do not work out thereafter, we will move Gauhati High Court seeking revocation of the deal,” he threatened.
According to ASM sources, there are more than 1,200 sattras and over 10,000 naamghars (Vaishnavite prayer houses) under the Mahasabha in Assam.
Since its inception in 1915, the ASM has been ardently engaged in preserving and propagating the religious and socio-cultural teachings of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev.