SHILLONG: The MLA from Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM), Adelbert Nongrum reiterated that the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order of 1950 should be revised in order to retain the indigenous tribes of Meghalaya and said that the government should take the initiative to modify the ST list of the state.
Addressing a Press conference on Saturday, he said, “There is a need to review and revise the Presidential Order of 1950. Look at Sikkim, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh they are on the move to amend the ST Order, if they can do so, why not we? The state government has a role to play by making recommendations and necessary rectification.”
Stating that the names of certain Scheduled Tribes present in the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 should be looked into seriously, he said the state of Meghalaya did not review the ST list after it attained statehood and merely copied and pasted the laws from Assam.
“After we were bifurcated from Assam, we should have revised the list of Scheduled Tribes of the state of Meghalaya as on what grounds and conditions of laws were they included in the ST lists,” he said.
According to Nongrum, the inclusion of many tribes will affect the State Reservation Policy, benami transaction, Meghalaya Land Transfer Act and Trading by Non-Tribal Regulation.
Referring to concerns of unrepresented tribes in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, he offered his assistance and be part of the committee on Sixth Schedule where discussions on the matter will be made thoroughly.
He also urged other politicians to support the move to modify the list of ST tribes.