Uncle Assam’s Adopted Citizens

Two villages in Meghalaya’s backward West Khasi Hills district have shifted allegiance to Assam.

Two villages in Meghalaya’s backward West Khasi Hills district have shifted allegiance to Assam. The villages, which border Assam, find that the state provides them with all their needs while Meghalaya has only neglected them. The 350-odd residents of Barigang village have enrolled themselves through the ongoing census as residents of Assam. “For many years, we pleaded with the Meghalaya government to undertake development works here, but in vain. The Assam government, on the other hand, has provided water and electricity supply and built roads connecting Barigang to the state. We avail healthcare and education facilities in Assam,” says Ankline Sangma, the headman of the village. Sonapur, another village in Meghalaya, has done the same, and a few neighbouring villages are planning to follow suit.

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