SHILLONG: The HNYF on Friday organised a discussion at the Khasi National Dorbar Hall here to mark its 20th anniversary.
Presenting a paper on “Integration through development” on the occasion, Professor Sumarbin Umdor of the Department of Economics, NEHU observed that rights that are meant to be enjoyed by all sections of society have exclusively served the elites.
“There is an elite section that is enjoying the rights. Among the tribals there is no caste but there is class. The rich sections are enjoying the rights and exploiting the resources of the state… There is no integration,” he said.
“Despite India’s 69 years of journey, integration of the country is a far cry as we have witnessed socio-ethnicity tensions, communalism, Naxalism, the rising tension in the North East,” Umdor said.
He said that though India has proved its critics wrong by emerging as the 3rd largest economy in the world behind USA and China and that the country has come a long way in becoming self-sufficient, development has not reached all pockets of the country.
Meanwhile, DDG Dympep, chairman, (MPHRC) said, “There are numerous laws in the country to empower ourselves and preserve our identity.”
“The Constitution of India for administrative purposes considers the word Scheduled Tribe in lieu indigenous people,” he said.
He criticized the administrators of the State who have till date not examined the laws meant to preserve indigenous rights which includes the 5th Schedule and 6th Schedule.
Erwin Sutnga, advocate said that there is constitutional anomaly as the state is currently witnessing a tussle between the State Government and the District Councils.
“Meghalaya is not a fully tribal state, there is something wrong in our system and the root is the inadequacy of laws, leadership and irresponsibility of society,” Sutnga said.
