By HH Mohrmen
Whether one calls it Them Ïewmawlong or Harijan colony, the issue has plagued the state for decades now, but this time it has escalated and the issue has even reached the highest office of the country. Thanks to the irresponsible statement made by the proscribed militant group based in Bangladesh, in spite of the attempt made by the Government to bring this issue to a logical conclusion, the issue came to the fore again. The Organisation did not weigh the pros and cons before making the statement and it does did not also appreciate the initiatives taken by the Government, hence the issue has reached its crescendo now.
The statement made by the HNLC which threatened to attack the residents of the community has changed the case from that of dispute for a plot of land to a human rights issue. The reason is because lives of the people in the area are in danger. And the Chief Minister of Punjab has not only sent a delegation to meet the Home Minister of the State, but he had even taken up the issue with the Prime Minister of the country. We have seen delegations of different Sikh groups visiting the State and the issue was also taken up by the minority commission of the country, all because of the threat.
The issue which only has to do with relocation of the residents of the colony who are also staff of the different departments of the government has become a major fight now. Therefore the issue has not only escalated because of the intervention but because of the unnecessary statement, has only pushed the matter from bad to worse. Thankfully, things have not gone out of hand; the Government is still in control and it has not become a law and order situation in the state capital.
The Them Ïewmawlong issue is not only a long pending issue but because previous State Governments have failed to solve the prolonged issue in time it has now become a complex problem which is difficult but not impossible to solve. As is always the case, with time, the different issues related to this land have piled up one on top of the other and become a mountain of problems that the current government will have to deal diligently.
It is true that the community had lived in the Them Ïewmawlong or Harijan colony for many decades now and they have every right to be treated respectfully by both the Government and other stakeholders, but land issue is a different matter altogether. The reason is because ownership of land in the scheduled area is restricted by law. Besides, the employees were allotted lands for temporary residence only. This point should be impressed upon the residents of the area and Government can always find alternative arrangements which are acceptable to the community.
It was reported that not all the residents in the area were actually working with any Government agencies, so the important question is whether they are entitled to be accommodated in the area which is meant for those working in Government departments. The point that needs clarity is whether the colony can be treated like a dorbar shnong where they have power over land and administration over the area. In case it is not a village administrative unit recognised by the ADC because the land is under the jurisdiction of the KHADC, then it can only be treated as a social welfare organisation of the people who live in the area. What had further complicated the issue was the fact that certain parts of the land are being used for commercial purposes.
It is true that the community has contributed to the development of the state and the grateful people of Shillong should bear this in mind and treat them with the respect they deserve. But it is also true that the condition of the space they are currently living is not conducive to a healthy and peaceful living. It is therefore in the interests of human rights that the Government has proposed to relocate the people of the area to a place which is more favourable than the one that they are living in now. Moreover, it is for the brighter future of the children of the community that the Government has offered to relocate them to a much better place; but more than mere relocation the Government should see that their basic rights are provided.
From the reports in the press, we are given to understand that what the community wants clarity with regard to ownership of the land that they are supposed to be relocated to, so this is one issue that the Government needs to come clear with. Of course, the people who now live in the area know that the quarters and space that they were proposed to be relocated to, will be much better than the one they are living in now, but since some of them have lived in the current space for decades, it is very natural that they would also need clarity on the ownership of the new space. This is one issue that the Government will have to take due care and consideration of, if it really wants to get their support.
There is no issue which cannot be solved by discussing across the table. The stakeholders therefore need to sit across the table and discuss threadbare the different aspects of this issue and arrive at an amicable solution. This is a difficult imbroglio and it is therefore wrong to expect that this Government would be able to come up with an amicable solution for all stakeholders in a few months time. People have to be patient because it takes time to arrive at a lasting solution to a long festering problem.
After the unfortunate incident last year, this Government through the High Level Committee, along with the Urban Affairs Department and the Shillong Municipal Board have worked hard to close this unpleasant chapter in the State’s history once and for all. The Chief Minister has made it public, that the Government is taking every genuine stakeholder’s demand into consideration and it is leaving no stone unturned to come up with a mutually agreed solution. The Government has also promised that it would try to carry all the stakeholders along in any decision that it will take, therefore stakeholders are also equally responsible in solving the problems and this includes pressure groups in the State too. For all those who wish to see that the issue comes to a logical conclusion and hopes that peace prevail in the State, this is the time to show solidarity with the Government and try to be part of the solution rather than creating more problems.
No stakeholder in this entanglement would wish to prolong this issue any longer. We have lived with it for far too long, so the option is to support the Government and it will definitely come up with a solution which will not only resolve the matter once and for all and put the issue to rest, but which will also be in the interests of the State and the country. We are inching towards arriving at a solution to the problem, therefore let us not jump to conclusions but wait for the HLC to come up with its report. We must appreciate the efforts made by the HLC under the leadership of the Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong and lend our support to its efforts.
The leaders of the Harijan Colony too should look at the issue from a realistic point of view which is in accordance with the law of the land. Hopefully the Government will be able to come up with a win-win solution for both the community and other stakeholders because this is the last opportunity for us to solve this prolonged issue once and for all. We have reached a stage where, it is now or never.