Meghalaya tribals press for border haats

Tribal chiefs of Meghalaya yesterday demanded immediate opening of at least 38 haats along the border with Bangladesh saying they are beneficial for local residents.
"We have urged the Meghalaya government to take up the matter with the Centre for negotiations with Bangladesh government to speed up the opening of at least 38 border haats," John F Kharshiing, chief of the Grand Council of Chiefs of Meghalaya (GCCM) said in Meghalaya's capital Shillong.
"These haats have a direct impact on the livelihood of the border residents," he said.
Only two border haats, at Kalaichar in West Garo Hills and at Balat in East Khasi Hills district, are currently open and more than 20,000 residents are benefited directly and generate more than Rs50 lakh in income.
The tribal leader demanded 38 more border haats including 17 in East Khasi hills district, 11 in South West Khasi Hills district, four in South Garo hills, and three each in West Garo Hills and Jaintia Hills districts.
"The Khasi-Jaintia and Garo people inhabiting the entire stretch of 443km long Indo-Bangladesh border have been victims of partition. Not only was the international border closed due to the partition but they have been denied their traditional market and route towards Sylhet and Chittagong," he said.
Urging the authorities to improve infrastructure, particularly bridges, along the border, Kharshiing said these the development work would allow movement along the border as hostile terrain is a serious challenge.