SHILLONG: The Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) on Wednesday termed Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong’s request to shift from the Harijan Colony as a “polite threat”.
In a statement issued here, headman of the committee Billu Singh said the HPC “rejects the polite threat” from the High Level Committee (HLC), which is headed by Tynsong.
“We reject the High Level Committee and we will reject all the decisions that it takes tomorrow (Thursday) or in future. The HLC has no locus standi and is working only to evict the poor Sikh residents of Punjabi colony who are living here for the last 200 years and who have immensely served the people of the state,” he added.
Tynsong had said the residents of the colony must vacate the place and if they don’t have a better place, they should be ready to get a new one.
Terming the statement as a veiled threat, Singh said, “We will not be cowed down like this. We are citizens of the state for the last two centuries and we cannot be bullied. We have legitimate rights and we will contest for those rights.” He went on to add that the deputy chief minister is misleading the people of the state by partially quoting the order of the High Court and asserted that he must know that “the legal battle is far from over”.
“The order of February 2019 still stands and as the Government of Meghalaya has gone in appeal, it has been listed for August 22,” he said.
The state government has to face another case filed by Singh wherein the eviction (called inventorisation, seeking documentation of residency) notices pasted on May 31 have been challenged. This too would come up for hearing on August 22.
“Mr Prestone Tynsong is telling lies after lies. Having sat silent for a period of two weeks during which the contempt petition was pending in the High Court, he is now in an overdrive with his “unlawful talk”. During the Delhi meeting between Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, the deputy chief minister preferred to stay away as he could not face truth,” Singh said.
The HPC and the City Gurdwara Management Committee stated that they have categorically rejected the HLC.
Singh pointed out that the Meghalaya High Court in its order passed on June 28, while hearing a review petition filed by the state government on the issue, had stated, “However, it is directed that the occupants/residents of the concerned area shall cooperate in furnishing the requisite information to the State.”
He pointed out that the last line of the order is significant where the judge said, “for further considerations to come up on 28.08.2019”.
“The deputy chief minister and the Shillong Municipal Board must understand that this order is untenable because when an appeal is under consideration, the High Court cannot pass an order on the review petition. Also, our counsels will shortly be seeking a modification of the above quoted order. Moreover, the very notice has been challenged and will be taken up by the court on August 22, 2019,” Singh’s statement read.
He blamed the deputy chief minister and the Shillong Municipal Board for failing to realise that in the contempt order, which the counsels of the HPC did not press, the court had given them the privilege to file for contempt again should the SMB or the HLC initiate any further illegal proceedings.
The HPC said the government is determined to claim the land as its own.
Singh said all the details and documentation of the families who are residents of Harijan Colony that the Shillong Municipal Board requires is part of the petition that was filed in 2018.
In June 2018, the municipal board had already conducted the inventory process and the details of families working with it and those working with other state and Union governments have been published many times through public notices in newspapers.
“The declaration of 2008 by the Syiem of Mylliem, which has recognised our presence and settlement and pattas have been given to various institutions, is also part of the petition,” he added.
Taking exception to the “harassment” meted out by the civic board and the HLC, Singh said, “The Harijan Panchayat Committee is clear that neither the Shillong Municipal Board nor any department of the Government of Meghalaya has any document to prove that they are the legal owners of the land on which the poor residents live.”
The Harijan Panchayat Committee is committed to protect and fight for its legitimate rights till its last breath.