SHILLONG: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has sounded words of warning to the Centre against transgressing into the customary tribal laws. The KSU ire owes it to government of India’s draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) 2020 which the Union described as “draconian” piece of legislation.
A delegation of the KSU, which met the Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Tuesday, gave vent to their total disapproval of the legislation saying that such a law would not only destroy environment but also come under direct conflict with the customary tribal land system.
Later talking to reporters, president of the union Lambok Marngar said that the union had conveyed to Sangma that the people of the state would not take pleasure at the imposition of developmental projects of the Centre which threaten to affect the health, the environment and the tribal rights.
Marngar quoted Sangma assuring them that he would consult with the forest department over the matter before submitting its views to the centre.
“Our state has a unique land system. The state government should give its own comments as laws of the centre should not bulldoze its way into our customary system”, Marngar said.
He said that the draft will come in conflict with the environmental laws and Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
“The Centre says it (the proposed law) is for defence or national security, and it will not consult people and will go ahead. If it is for the security of India, shall we be taken as lambs to the slaughter house?” he said in angry tone.
Asked whether the Center has its eyes on the mineral rich state, Marngar did not give a straight answer, but inferred that the Centre had some hidden intentions.
In another development, the chairman of KSU Education Cell, Raymond Kharjana said that the union had written to the Minister of Human Resource Development, Ramesh Pokhriyal with regard to the decision taken by the UGC on July 6, 2020 to direct the Universities to conduct examinations by the end of September in offline (pen & paper)/ online/ blended (online and offline) mode amidst the rise of COVID-19 cases throughout the country.
Kharjana pointed out that a huge number of students from the state were pursuing their studies in different parts of the country and if examinations were to be conducted then they would be required to travel again which may pose a medical risk to them.
