SHILLONG: The move of the Union Government to repeal Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir continues to receive flak from the Opposition Congress in Meghalaya. Opposition chief whip, another senior Congress MLA, Ampareen Lyngdoh has also criticized the Centre on its move.
Lyngdoh on Tuesday said that the notification for abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir is a big threat to the federal structure of the country and as representatives of indigenous communities,they will have to find a platform to express their concerns and if necessary even protest the manner in which this entire scrapping was conducted.
She stressed that people belonging or representing the indigenous communities have to find a platform to express our concerns and it if necessary even protest the manner in which this entire scrapping was conducted,” said Lyngdoh.
Stating that the Article 35(A) and 371 of the constitution are special for the simple reason as both of it were a gesture from the Government of India honouring the accession of the apex agreement between the union government and the region, Lyngdoh said, “All along the North East similar accession have been signed and the very fact that this was rudely snatched from the people of Jammu and Kashmir probably is something which is going to lead to a lot of speculation”.
“Dishonouring that pact is in itself is a very worrying factor,” she said adding that legislative power cannot be just rubbished.
Stating that these two Articles empowered the state governments, Lyngdoh wondered, “Land Rights is something which is very close to these articles and in Meghalaya we have our own land transfer Act and are we now going to be under the scrutiny”.
Recalling that it was not only the Parliament that had recognised the need of these special status for the small indigenous communities that are prevalent across the country, Lyngdoh said, “Even the government alongside the Judiciary, Legislature honoured the signatures and agreement”.
“This is a big threat to the federal structure of the country,” she added.
