EKH SP expects peaceful meeting at Polo Ground
SHILLONG: The crucial meeting of the traditional heads, ‘Dorbar ka Bri u Hynniewtrep’ organized by Synjuk Ki Rangbah Shnong, will discuss the Village Administration Bill and also the Ordinance related to headmen approved by the Governor at a public rally at Polo Grounds on Saturday.
East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police, M. Kharkrang, on Friday said several rounds of meetings with headmen in the past and he hoped that the rally will be peaceful.
The district administration has granted permission to hold the rally and has declared dry day to avoid any disturbances.
People from Khasi- Jaintia Hills, and also from various localities in the city are expected to take part in the rally.
Earlier, traditional heads of various localities had urged the residents to take part in the rally.
While the Traditional Bill is being debated, there were demands to re- draft the Village Administration Bill not only from the pressure groups like TUR recently but also from the UDP when the party had convened a meeting of traditional heads in January this year.
The UDP leader Bindo Lanong had in that meeting said that the Bill needed to be re-drafted since there were serious anomalies in it.
While pointing out to the anomalies in the Bill, the UDP working president had stated that Clause 6 of the Bill, which speaks about the ceremony of ‘teh Rangbah’ wherein “the male members of a village are to be recognized by the Dorbar Shnong once they attain the age of 18, is an unnecessary inclusion”.
He had also opposed the clause which called for the need to have a village development council (VDC) which will function under the Dorbar Shnong for implementation of all the developmental schemes and programmes of the government.
The meeting had also constituted a five- member committee to be headed by Lanong as its convener, with S.D. Khongwir, chairman of Mawlai Town Dorbar, and other headmen as members.
Later in March this year, the Dorbar Ki Rangbah Shnong Ri Jaintia, a coordination body of headmen of Jaintia Hills, had called for wider consultation on the proposed Jaintia Autonomous District (Establishment of Elaka and Village and Election, Appointment, Powers, Functions and Jurisdiction of Dalloi/Sirdar and Waheh Shnong) Bill, 2015 or the headmen’s bill.
The spokesperson of the organization Erwin K Sutnga had even suggested the Bill to be sent to a select committee.
