SHILLONG: Senior Congress MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh on Tuesday said that abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir is a big threat to the federal structure of the country and as representatives of the indigenous communities, they will have to find a platform to express their concerns and if necessary even protest the manner in which the entire scrapping was conducted.
“This is a big threat to the federal structure of the country. People belonging to or representing the indigenous communities have to find a platform to express their concerns and if necessary even protest the manner in which the entire scrapping was conducted”, Lyngdoh said.
Stating that Article 371 of the Constitution is special for the simple reason that it was a gesture from the Centre honouring the accession of annexed agreement between the Union government and the region, Lyngdoh said, “All along the North East, similar accession has been signed and the very fact that this was rudely snatched away from the people of Jammu and Kashmir is something which is going to lead to a lot of speculation.
“Dishonouring that pact is in itself an indicator that it 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 said possession of land 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 scrutiny”.
Recalling that it was not only the Parliament that had recognised the need of the special status for the small indigenous communities across the country, Lyngdoh said, “Even the government besides the judiciary and legislature had honoured the signatures and agreement.
“This is a big threat to the federal structure of the country,” she added.
Opposition Chief Whip and Congress MLA PT Sawkmie said like the Article 371A for Nagaland and Article 371G for Mizoram, Meghalaya has Article 244 which empowers the state with special provisions.
Sawkmie wanted to know what would be the status of these Articles after Article 370 was abrogated in the case of Jammu and Kashmir.
On the contrary, UDP leader and MDC of KHADC, Paul Lyngdoh said he does not foresee any eventuality for the Northeastern states as BJP has never committed taking away special privileges of the Northeastern states.
“You have to make a fine distinction between what the BJP plans for Kashmir and what it plans for the North East and Article 370 was always a part of their agenda and manifesto but taking away and depriving the North East of its special privileges like ADCs and land laws have never figured in the party’s agenda,” said the former KSU president.
According to Paul, the BJP will not commit a folly in the North East.
As far as strengthening of the Sixth Schedule is concerned, a Bill to empower the ADCs was piloted in the Parliament and the Bill now only needs to be taken up for debate in both the Houses, he said.
“I see a huge difference of approach from BJP and I don’t foresee any such problem or eventuality for the Northeastern states,” he added.
