HNPF for limited voting rights
for non-tribals
Shillong: In what can be an indication of the fact that holding the elections to municipal bodies will not be an easy task this time too, the Hynniewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF) has registered its protest against the Government decision to hold the polls following a court order.
“It seems the Government, without keeping the long term interest of the indigenous people into consideration, is in a hurry to get financial assistance for urban development under JNNURM,” the youth body said in a memorandum submitted to Friday Lyngdoh, Chairman of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Select Committee on Meghalaya Community Participation Bill 2010, on Thursday.
The Government had decided to hold elections to four municipal boards in Garo Hills as per a recent directive of the Shillong Bench of the Gauhati High Court on the basis of a petition filed by candidates for the last year’s election, which had to be called off due to large-scale protests from NGOs coupled with violent activities in Garo Hills. The HNYF said people in the State need security of the indigenous political power and economic control over the urban areas which are already undergoing a demographic change. “We are of the opinion that holding municipal election would lead to the dilution of our indigenous power and control over the urban areas of Shillong,” the HNYF said in the memorandum. The Front also demanded that non-tribals should be given voting rights in civic elections only in the existing municipal areas.
“The Meghalaya municipal law, if enacted, has to be cautious with regard to the definition of the electorates besides the voting rights of non-tribals,” the memorandum said adding, “they (non-tribals) can be given voting rights only within the existing municipal areas and in other areas they must not be allowed either to contest election or act as voters.”