Shillong, October 16: The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) has slammed the alleged failure of the Meghalaya state government to secure joint security arrangements with the Assam government to facilitate the harvesting of crops in Lapangap village, West Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya.
This came a day after the chief minister Conrad K Sangma had appealed to the Lapangap villagers to refrain from harvesting activities for the time being in a bid to maintain peace and security along the Meghalaya-Assam border.
“It is very unfortunate that our farmers from Lapangap are not able to harvest their crops after multiple attempts due to the consistent attack from the Karbi villages. Moreover, it is even more unfortunate to hear the Chief Minister of Meghalaya saying that he cannot provide security to the farmers for harvesting their crops because, as per him, safety of lives is more important,” KHNAM working president Thomas Passah said in a statement issued on Thursday.
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“I hope the Chief Minister also understands that a farmer or a village who lives by farming and feeds his family by harvesting his crops, if he is not allowed to harvest, then his and his family’s lives are in danger. We had expected that the Chief Minister will talk to Assam and convince for a joint security for harvesting of crops,” he stated.
He demanded that if the Meghalaya government cannot provide security, it should compensate the farmers for their losses.
Passah also alleged that the government’s inaction is linked to the election schedule, with talks and settlements being delayed until after the Assam, Meghalaya, and other elections.
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“If the Meghalaya Government cannot provide security for harvesting, we would demand the government to compensate the farmers since it is clear from the statement of the Chief Minister that the talks and settlement will only be after Assam election, further after that after Meghalaya election, furthermore after the MP election, while our farmers and villagers of Lapangap are left to suffer over and over again,” he added.
(Newmai News Network)