GUWAHATI: In July 2021, even as Assam and Mizoram were at loggerheads over the border, Assam faced another controversy: its border with Meghalaya. Both states have since come a long way and are closer than ever to sorting out the differences.
But it seems one controversy has given way to another. As many as 11 Vaishnavite places of worship located along the Assam-Meghalaya inter-state boundary could be ‘handed over’ to Meghalaya, and this raised serious concerns among Assam’s Vaishnavite people.
Under the “give-and-take” policy, the Assam government is planning to hand over 18.29 sq km of land to Meghalaya out of the 36 sq km of disputed land along the state boundary.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad K Sangma have already submitted their recommendations to Union Home Minister Amit Shah for reaching out an agreement under the “give-and-take policy.”
Both Meghalaya and Assam have adopted a formula to sort the dispute in the six areas- Hahim, Gizang, Tarabari, Boklapara, Khanapara-Pilingkata and Ratacherra.
If the Centre okays the reports, 11 vaishnavite places of worship will go to Meghalaya. These are: Matesar Sattra at Matesar, Netwajapa Sattra at Longshai, Noonmati Gosai Namghar at Jimiri Gaon, Banaspati Namghar at Boklapara, Sonari Namghar at Bhalakhowa, Bura Bhugdiya Gosai Namghar at Ouguri, Umsur Namghar, Ranibari Namghar, Salser Namghar and Lungkher Namghar.
The namghar is a prayer-house where devotees, present as the congregation, sing the names of God. In Satras, the main feature is the namghar.
Matesar Sattra is more than 200 years old. It was set up as a namghar, but the ASM recognised it as a Sattra in 2016. Brajen Rabha is the Sattradhikar of this sattra. Another religious place is Netwajapa Sattra. It is also a 250-year old namghar. The Assam Sattra Mahabha (ASM) had recognised it as sattra in 2017. Bijay Rabha is the satradhikar of the sattra.
Opposing the Assam government’s move, the ASM, the largest religious organisation of the state, said they would not allow the government to hand over these places of worship to Meghalaya, a Christian state.
“We will not allow the Assam government to hand over these religious places to Meghalaya,” ASM principal secretary Kusum Kumar Mahanta told EastMojo. “These are all 200-year old vaishnavite places of worship. It is not good for the government to hand them over to Meghalaya,” Mahanta added.
Mahanta questioned the government whether the state government would adopt the same strategy in border disputes with Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram for the past several decades.
“It is most unfortunate for the people of the state that only because of lack of foresightedness of the leaders, Assam’s boundary has not been demarcated since Independence,” Mahanta said.
“During Partition, Assam was left out and allowed to merge with East Pakistan. However, the initiative of leaders like Gopi Nath Bordoloi, Pitambar Dev Goswami, Bhimbar Deori, and Ambikagiri Ray Choudhury ensured that Assam became a part of the Indian Union,” he added.
“As a result of the give and take policy of the government, Assam has to lose many villages. During the formation of Nagaland, the state had to hand over many villages, including Dimapur, to Nagaland. Likewise, during the formation of Meghalaya and Mizoram, the state had to hand over many villages to them,” he continued.
“There was only five per cent Khasi population in the area from Khanapara to Nongpoh. But this area was included in Meghalaya without making any survey of the land,” he further said.
“We strongly oppose this decision. We want the government to stay away from such policy but to think of the development of indigenous people living along the inter-state border,” he added.