Instrument of Accession and Annexed Agreement
SHILLONG: A Dorbar convened by the Grand Council of Chiefs on Tuesday urged the Chief Minister Mukul Sangma to convene a special session of the Members of Assembly and the members of the Grand Council of Chiefs to deliberate on the need for a resolution in the Assembly, to discuss and pass resolution on Inclusion of Instrument of Accession (IOA) and Annexed Agreement (AA) signed by the 25 Khasi States on 15 Dec 1947 and accepted by the Government of India on 17 August 1948 in a special Article of the Constitution of India as provided for Jammu & Kashmir in Article 370
More than 450 chiefs, and elders comprising of Rangbah Shnong, Sordar, Shnong and pressure groups including KSU FKJGP, HNYF and others met here to discuss matters relating to the customary laws and instrument of Accession and Annexed Agreement.
The meeting discussed the letter dated October 14, sent from the Ministry of Home Affairs informing the Dorbar that the MHA, has requested the State Government to look into the empowerment of traditional institutions.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chairman, Dorbar Ki Khlieh Nongsynshar Ka Ri Hynniewtrep, John F Kharshiing briefed the chiefs on the recent meetings with the central authorities and that till date they have received positive responses from all authorites including the NCST, NHRC and other constitutional authorities, who after examining the IOA & AA carefully issued directives to the Centre to address the terms of the Annexed Agreement.
The meeting also urged the State and Centre to explore possibilities of calling the HNLC to the negotiating table and to take positive time bound steps in conflict resolutions as far as central and customary laws are concerned.
The need for creation of a separate Federal / Regional Council for the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo indigenous tribal governing institutions was stressed in the meeting.
Another resolution adopted in the meeting was to reject the idea of traditional chiefs participating in the present party based elections as the chiefs and their traditional governing institutions are party-less institutions.
The meeting further urged the Government to settle the border dispute.