STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: A deep afterthought! Now, most of the residents of Bakhalapara under West Guwahati LAC want to stay with Assam.
Based on the reports of the regional committees of Assam and Meghalaya, the Chief Ministers of both the states made it clear that the maximum area of Bakhalapara would go to Meghalaya. And the two Chief Ministers reported it to the Union Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah recently.
A team comprising the leaders of five prominent students' unions of the state – the AASU (All Assam Students' Union), ABSU (All Bodo Students' Union), ARSU (All Rabha Students' Union), AGSU (All Gorkha Students' Union) and the GSU (Garo Students' Union) – visited the Bakhalapara area recently, and interacted with the local populace there. Most of the Bakhalapara residents expressed their willingness to the student leaders that they wanted to stay with Assam.
The five student unions will submit their report to the Assam government shortly to reconsider its decision on Bakhalapara.
Talking to The Sentinel today, AASU president Dipanka Kumar Nath said, "During our visit to Bakhapara, we saw Rabhas, Boros and Garos residing there. According to the local people, Garos comprise around three per cent of the total population of the village. And the Garos have wedded Assamese girls. The decision of the two governments to give most of the village area to Meghalaya baffles most of the villagers.
"The residents feel as Assamese. The village got the first LP School in 1909, and the first ME School came in 1975. Both the schools are of an Assamese medium. Most of the students of the village read in Assamese medium.
"This is not all. The villagers pay land tax to Assam. They, however, say that at times the Khasi king forcibly takes land tax from them. The villagers held a meeting recently. After much afterthought, most villagers have decided to stay back with Assam. They have already sent a memorandum to the Kamrup Deputy Commissioner expressing their willingness to stay with Assam."
ARSU president Nripen Kanda said, "We have seen that the residents of Bakhalapara want to stay with Assam. Most of them are indigenous Assamese like Rabhas and Bodos. The two governments need to modify their decision on the village in the changed scenario."
During their meeting with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently, AASU and other student organizations had gone on record saying they would express their views on the disputed border villages after visiting the spots.
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