SHILLONG: A meeting convened by the KHADC Executive Committee and attended by several traditional heads on Tuesday unanimously resolved to demand the State government to pass the Village Administration Bill, 2015.
“All the 30 MDCs from both the ruling and opposition sides including the traditional heads with one single voice have decided to impress upon the State government to pass the bill by asking the Governor to give his assent,” KHADC EM in charge Elaka, K.P. Pangniang, told newsmen after the meeting held at Jaiaw Shyiap Lumpyllon, Community Hall.
He said that there was unanimity among the MDCs that the bill is the best possible solution to address the present stalemate arising of the High Court of Meghalaya ruling which questioned the role of the Rangbah Shnong.
Pangniang also informed that the meeting has decided to urge all the Himas who do not have their own Act to initiate the exercise to frame rules to define the roles and responsibility of the Rangbah Shnong.
The EM further mentioned that a meeting would be convened with all the traditional heads to collect their views and suggestion on preserving the customs and tradition.
The meeting also requested KHADC CEM Adelbert Nongrum to withdraw his decision to sit on an indefinite hunger strike.
On the issue of NOC, Pangniang informed that the KHADC EC will hold an emergency meeting to discuss the proposal of NOCs being issued by the District Council.
The KHADC CEM asserted that the Government should pass the Village Administration Bill.
“We want a permanent healing not a temporary one,” the KHADC CEM said, adding that the Council had waited for more than a year for the Government to pass the Bill.
“We strongly oppose the move of the State government to encroach into the District Council jurisdiction from time to time,” Nongrum said.
“The right to make laws to protect and preserve our custom and tradition lies with the District Council and not with the government or the parliament,” he said, while adding, “I would rather lay my own life than sacrificing the life and future of my own people.”
Cabbies against KHADC making laws on headmen
The East Khasi Hills Local Taxi Welfare Association on Tuesday maintained that the KHADC cannot make laws to defining the role and powers of the Rangbah Shnong as the Sanat (appointment letter) to the Rangbah Shnong is issued by the Hima and other traditional institutions like Syiemship and Raid.
“Therefore, the mandate to make laws on the Rangbah Shnong lies with the various traditional institutions since they are the authority who issue appointment letters to the Rangbah Shnong,” the cabbies said.
“The Village Administration Bill, 2015 which was formulated by the Council to define the roles and function of the Rangbah Shnong is totally against our traditional practices. The KHADC never consulted the traditional bodies while formulating this legislation. The Council is trying to impose the Bill which is unacceptable,” it said.
The cabbies’ body accused the HSPDP and other regional parties to trying to take political mileage out of the ruling of the High Court.
“The ruling of the High Court is not a permanent one. The ruling will lapse once the traditional institutions come up with law to define the powers of the Rangbah Shnong,” EKJHLTWA said, adding that it was surprising that the HSPDP had gone ahead with a public rally to mislead the people instead of giving the true picture on the whole issue.
EKHLTWA also blamed the Government of trying to create law and order problem by arresting KSU president Daniel Khyriem.
The cabbies recalled that a Government committee headed by former Deputy Chief Minister Bindo Mathew Lanong had suggested the implementation of ILP in the State and said, “Even Lanong should be arrested being the Chairman of the committee which recommended the implementation of the ILP to the Government.”
