SHILLONG: The Centre has sought a status report from the State Government over the representation regarding the implementation of the Instrument of Accession and Annexed Agreement (IOA&AA) signed on August 17, 1948, by the Khasi chiefs for constitutional recognition and protection of the traditional institutions.
As per the letter addressed to Chief Secretary P.B.O. Warjri on November 27 a copy of which was received by Federation of Khasi States spokesperson John F Kharshiing on Friday, Union Deputy Secretary Sanjay Kumar stated that a status report of the representation regarding the implementation of the of Instrument of Accession and Annexed Agreement was still being awaited.
“We request that the matter may kindly be looked into and the status report may be submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs urgently,” Kumar stated in the letter.
While reacting to this letter, Kharshiing said it was a great thing to see the Centre act with seriousness on this very important agreement.
“We would request the State Government to urgently look into this issue so as to provide constitutional space for the party less traditional institutions within the Constitution of India,” he said.
Kharshiing also asserted that the Government should hold consultations with the various traditional heads before submitting the status report to the Centre.
“Being the stakeholders, we have the right to have an inside on the status report which the State Government would submit to the Centre,” he said.
According to him, this is the fourth official communiqué from the Centre to the State Government since 2012 seeking the views of the Government on the IOA&AA.
“The State Government should not make any further delay in submitting the status report,” he said.
Earlier on Tuesday last, a Dorbar convened by the Grand Council of Chiefs of Meghalaya had urged Chief Minister Mukul Sangma to convene a special session of the 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 IOA&AA signed by the 25 Khasi States on Dec 15, 1947 and accepted by the Government of India on August 17, 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 had requested the State Government to look into the empowerment of traditional institutions.
In 2012, Union Home Affairs Joint Secretary (Northeast) Shambhu Singh had sent a similar request to the Meghalaya Government.
On August 17, 1948, the conditional treaty, Instrument of Accession and Annexed Agreement, which was entered into with the Khasi states, was accepted and signed by C. Rajagopalachari, the last Governor-General of India.
But the commitment of incorporating the agreement in the Constitution is yet to see the light of day.