Nongpoh, July 25: A deligation of the Raid Nongtung comprised of Eight villages in the Ri Bhoi District today met the Deputy Commissioner of Ri Bhoi District at his office chambers and sumbit to him the memorandum, telling him that the Khasi People of Riad Nongtung do no want to avail the Epic of Assam Government.
In the memorandum that was sign by the headman of the eight villages mention that the election department and Assam politician are still perusing the residence of the area to take the EPIC of the Assam Government.
In the memorandum they have said that the People of Raid Nongtung area voters of Assam State when Meghalaya was not created, even thus years the people of this area are voted under 2-Nongpoh District Council which fall Under the United KHasi and Jaintia Autonomous Council as per the delimitation of1966 and 1972.
It was only after the creation of Meghalaya State in 1972, that most of the villages under Raid Nongtung area are in conflict with the state of Assam like Sabuda, Iatalong, Khlieh Umwang, Mawpud, Itpatung, Pdeng Tleit, Umjaktah, Umru, Ect they are enroll in the electoral roll in the Mawhati Constituency in Meghalaya.
Due to the ignorance and compulsion from the government of Assam two to three decade back they have also enroll in the electoral roll government of Assam, when they are already enroll in Meghalaya, the reason is that this people they are afraid that they might lost their land own hereditary such as paddy filed might be seized by the Assam Government and more over our area fall under boundary dispute between Assam and Meghalaya thus our Khasi People get confused.
Thus in the year 2012, when the election commission come to Shillong, Mr Shankar Brahma declare that dual voters is illegal thus the people decided to keep up the Assam vote and retain only Meghalaya Voter Identity Cards as they desires to be the citizen of Meghalaya and they were enroll at the Election branch at Nongpoh in Meghalaya.
The Assam Election Department has enroll the villages under its election branch since the year 1985-86 and has been constantly persuading the khasi people to also avail the epic of Assam since 2013 in which the Assam Government started the use of EPIC in the year 2013 only. And they strongly opposed.
That from 14th July 2016, Assam elelction official and Assam politician has entered several villages Under Raid Nongtung for persuading the Khasi People to avail the Epic of Assam. That on the 20th July a resolution was adopted in the meeting held by the headman of villages fall under raid Nongtung conflict area with Assam to seek your kind clarification on the matter of dual votership and also to intervene as the khasi people do not want to avail the EPIC of Assam.
In this petition submitted to the Deputy Commissioner Ri Bhoi Today was sign by all the eight headman of the Raid Nongtung area, and the copy was also sent to the home minister, Chief Secretary and the Chief Electoral officer government of Meghalaya.(SP News)
