SHILLONG: The High Court of Meghalaya has directed the state government not to disturb the residents of Harijan Colony till the next hearing even as Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong slammed the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) for attempting to provoke and malign the state with misinformation over the June riot here.
During the hearing on Thursday, the state respondents sought more time from the court to file their counter affidavit. The court fixed the next hearing for February 15.
The HPC had alleged that the High Level Committee headed by Tynsong, which was constituted to find out a permanent solution to the issue of relocating residents of Harijan Colony, acted in a biased and malafide manner.
Giving a caustic response, Tynsong said the secretary of HPC, Gurjit Singh, should be asked the meaning of “malafide” and said, “I am very poor in English.”
“Ask Sardarji to explain to me and also if he says so, let him prove it. I would say that people who do not know anything and want to explain everything as if they know everything, I think that is not fair,” he said.
Reacting to the HPC’s demand to dissolve the High Level Committee, Tynsong said it can approach or petition anyone, but should stop misleading the people and create further problems.
“Let them go and petition anywhere, they are free to do that. But please stop misleading the people of the state and please stop creating more problems in future,” he said.
Tynsong recalled he had given a “very strong statement” that people from outside should not interfere as the state government is doing its task guided by the Constitution of India.
“They need to stop making comments which hurt the sentiments of Meghalaya. They are making attempts to provoke which, I feel, is very sad. I request the people to stop provoking and if they want anything, please come to the government,” he said.
He stated that the terms of reference of the committee are to identify a permanent solution as the problem has existed for a long time and it wants to recommend to the government a permanent solution which is relocation.
He said the HPC can approach the Court if they feel the terms of reference of the High Level Committee are illegal.
When pointed out that the secretary of HPC has appealed to the Governor to take steps to provide the 218 Sikh families with pattas, Tynsong questioned their move.
“Why should they ask for patta? They claim they have been here for more than 100 years, then now why are they asking for patta? It means they are only tenants. If they are tenants and ask for patta from Syiem (of Hima Mylliem) it means they accept they are not land holders,” he said.
Commenting on the HPC’s allegations that a truck, showroom and a shop were gutted during the riots, an irked Tynsong said the National Commission for SC and ST and National Human Rights Commission found no damage done.
“They enquired and visited the place (Harijan Colony) and found that not a single house was damaged. The office of the Deputy Commissioner also gave a detailed report that there was no such damage and there was no pelting of stones. And to say that there is burning of vehicles, burning of houses, where is that?” he said.
