‘Citizenship Amendment Bill in conflict with traditional laws’

SHILLONG: Chairman of the Grand Council of Chiefs of Meghalaya John F Kharshiing met the visiting delegation of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and held discussions on the Citizenship Act, 1955 and the Instrument of Accession and Annexed Agreement, 1948.
In a memorandum submitted to the JPC, Kharshiing said the Grand Council of Chiefs of Meghalaya and the Federation of Khasi States have sent several petitions to the President to resolve to incorporate the Instrument of Accession and Annexed Agreement of 1948 within the Constitution of India under Article 370.
According to Kharshiing, the directive from the National Commission of Scheduled Tribes to the Ministry of Home Affairs have not been resolved as yet, since the MHA has sought opinion from the Government of Meghalaya who in turn has sought the views of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), which is yet to respond to the same due to conflicts of interest.
He said that the tribal institutions of self-government under the indigenous chiefs (Syiem, Sirdar, Lyngdoh, Wahadar, Dolloi and Nokma) of Meghalaya have been faced with numerous legislative atrocities since the past six decades while administering their executive, legislative and judicial roles over land, forest, water, revenue and mineral resources. “The Bill, seeking to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 violates our treaty agreements of August 17, 1948 and is also in conflict with the customary citizenship laws and customs within the jurisdiction and territories of the chiefs of the Federation of Khasi States,” he said. Kharshiing appealed to the JPC to seek a report from the Ministry of Home Affairs as to the specific grounds for their non-fulfillment of a solemn national commitment entered into with the Federation of Khasi States on in 1948.