MLA alleges racial discrimination

SHILLONG: In an alleged case of racial discrimination, a representative of the Mahindra and Mahindra Finance Service Limited in city rejected a letter of undertaking of South Tura MLA John Leslee Sangma, who wanted to be a guarantor of an applicant for buying a vehicle because he is a Garo.
The incident happened recently, when one person who is close to the legislator wanted to buy a vehicle from Stanley Roy showroom in Mawlai.
The person approached the Mahindra and Mahindra Finance Service Limited for loan to buy the vehicle, but he was asked for a guarantor.
The legislator said that on July 16,  he wrote a letter to Mahindra and Mahindra Finance Service Limited in his official writing pad saying he would pay the entire amount of the loan incase the applicant fails to repay the same.
However, his letter of undertaking was rejected by the representative of the firm identified as one Kong Bala saying the MLA cannot be a guarantor as he is a Garo and only a Khasi can be guarantor. The MLA was told that that she neither knows him nor trusts him.
“I thought that the company is not allowing me to be a guarantor since I do not  have a land  here in Shillong , but surprisingly when the applicant of the vehicle   mentioned the name of another  Garo legislator who has a house in Shillong as guarantor, his name was also rejected saying  that a guarantor can only be a Khasi   person and not a Garo.
Furious with this, the MLA has moved the Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and Home Minister Roshan Warjri and they assured that the matter would be looked into.
“The act of the company is a serious crime of racial discrimination  against the Garos and it is against the Article 15 of the Constitution of India ,” he said.
The MLA has demanded that the license of the company should be immediately revoked even as he added that he would file an FIR against the company for racial discrimination.
The MLA is also set to take up the matter with the privilege committee of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.
“I would also raise the issue in the Assembly for a debate,” he said.
Attempts were made to contact the office of the Mahindra and Mahindra Finance Service Limited in Shillong as well as its headquarters, but they could not be contacted.