Institutionalisation of Nokmas opposed

SHILLONG: While there is a demand for institutionalization of traditional bodies and heads in Khasi and Jaintia Hills, ANVC-B leader Bernard Rimpu Marak has opposed the State Government’s move to institutionalise the Nokmas.
“Aking Nokmas are independent tribal heads whose powers, functions and authority cannot be institutionalized by the state,” Marak said in a statement issued on Sunday.
According to Marak, the state government will be crossing its parameter in its move to institutionalize the Nokmas.
“Aking Nokmas are recognized traditional heads who are custodians of land and traditional administrators in Garo hills. The move to institutionalize the Nokmas immediately after we signed the agreed text which aims to empower the traditional bodies and streamline direct funding to the grass root level is definitely a move to counter our agreement,” Marak said.
“We agreed to strengthen our traditional system, our Nokmas, our tribal administration and GHADC which have been weakened due to political institutionalization of MDCs in GHADC,” he said.
According to Marak, MDCs, who are tribal representatives were institutionalized politically and put under checks and balances to serve political purposes thus defeating the objective of the Sixth Schedule institution.
“Our agreement aims at restructuring our tribal administrative system under Sixth Schedule which is weakened due to political interference. Hence a move to institutionalize the traditional heads at this juncture will curtail the power and authority of the Nokmas in Garo hills through politically inclined bodies which are closely associated with the ruling political party,” the ANVC-B leader said.
Marak said that institutionalizing Nokmas will not empower them, but instead weaken them and restrict their authority in their own Aking land just like the way MDCs are restricted from making ‘free’ decision in GHADC. Institutionalizing the Nokmas will concentrate their power under one banner. This is a dangerous trend as the body in which the Nokmas are institutionalized will ultimately turn out to be under political influence, Marak said, adding that this does not serve the tribal purpose.