SHILLONG: A community seminar on Khasi Indigenous people and land alienation with a focus on extractive mining which was held here on Thursday passed a resolution on the need of documenting the customary laws and practices, to be followed by their codification after review with concerned stake holders.
The seminar also resolved to follow up on the need of the Instrument of Accession, and for its translation.
Another resolution was to fully support the NGT order on coal mining keeping with the spirit of the Sixth Schedule in protecting the culture and tradition of customary land rights of the indigenous Khasi and Jaintia people, and to protect the weaker sections of the society.
There was also a resolution made to create awareness on the Sixth Schedule to the community to have better understanding for protecting and preserving the customary laws and practices.
The Sixth Schedule is required to be translated for better understanding, the meeting felt.
It was also decided that material like the United Nations Declaration on Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) be translated into the local languages.
The seminar organized by Civil Society Women’s Organization (CSWO) was attended by Indigenous Khasi and Jaintia people from different villages of East Khasi Hills, Ri-Bhoi and Jaintia Hills, NGOs and students from Shillong.
The seminar was chaired by Hasina Kharbhih of Impulse NGO Network, and the presenters for Land and customary laws were the former Syiem (chieftain) of Mylliem, Laborious Syiem and Lyngdoh of Raid Nongkrem, Phrik Lyngdoh.
The seminar was supported by Asia Indigenous People Pact and the North East People Alliance.
H.H. Mohrmen from Jaintia Hills district spoke on extractive mining and its impacts on the people of the land who are affected by the rampant un-regularized mining of coal and cement in Jaintia Hills.
He also said that that many of the cement companies appointed local people from those areas as directors of the company and then they get to hold on to the land.
Mohrmen also said that in a radius of 5-8 kilometers around 8 cement plants exist and mentioned that the doctors posted at Khliehriat, East Jaintia Hills district, do not want to mention about the common ailment of the people living near these mining areas.
