Safeguard of rights of traditional bodies
SHILLONG: The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs is awaiting the Centre’s nod for constitution of a Commission under Article 399 of the Constitution to examine issues relating to the rights and safeguards of the traditional tribal governing institutions.
This was disclosed during a meeting between spokesperson of the traditional institutions of the State, John F Kharshiing, and Union Tribal Affairs Minister V Kishore Chandra Deo in New Delhi on Wednesday.
During the meeting, Kharshiing invited the Minister to address the special gathering of the traditional chiefs in Shillong and to also witness the sacred Shad Pomblang Festival scheduled on November 3.
This meeting was a follow up of an earlier discussion when a delegation of tribal chiefs from Meghalaya had met the Minister on June 7.
The traditional chiefs had also called on UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, on June 9, who had assured the chiefs that the Centre would look into all the issues relating to the Instrument of Accession and the Annexation Agreement signed and accepted by the Government of India and the twenty-five Khasi States on August 17, 1948.
Kharshiing had recently received a mail from the UPA Chairperson informing him that she had referred the matter to the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs.