SHILLONG: The issue of nominating individuals from unrepresented tribes as per the proposed amendment to the Sixth Schedule has been opposed by the Congress MDCs in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC).
The MDCs asserted that the provision would create further divisions in the indigenous community which is already a minority.
Congress MDCs accompanied by Congress MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh met the District Council Affairs (DCA) Minister, James Sangma to submit a memorandum to him apprising him of their concerns on the proposed amendment of the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
The Congress asserted that if the amendments wete allowed to be passed in the present form, then the protections, rights and guarantees of the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo tribes in the Constitution of India and the Sixth Schedule would be diluted and the grounds for doing away with these would be set into motion.
Speaking to reporters, Congress MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh said, “It is not right for the Union government to further create divisions amongst the indigenous communities in the state since we are already a minority community. To say that there are other unrepresented tribes in the state, it will further divide the small community.”
Secondly, referring to the Presidential Order, 1950, she said it was still in disorder and needed to be corrected and she said it was sad to learn that there were sub-tribes under the main tribe.
She said, “Things precede things. The Presidential order of 1950 should be corrected before amendment of the Sixth Schedule.”
Meghalaya has three main indigenous tribes and other minority tribes. According to Lyngdoh, having individuals nominated from unrepresented tribes will create division in the community
She said that in Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC), there was no such provision to nominate unrepresented tribes whereas it was included in the KHADC.
Political Ploy: Ampareen
Accusing the Central government of using the strategy of “divide and rule”, Lyngdoh said that there was a political ploy to dilute the identity of the tribals and the rights entitled to the tribals and the issue of unrepresented tribes would confuse people.
“It is a political ploy to divide the people to easily rule over us. After 50 years, the District Council will be diluted and divided. They are further dividing us into smaller groups,” she remarked.
“They (the central government) are trying to say there are other tribes who are still in fewer numbers than us. We don’t want to harass anyone but we are being harassed by others,” she said.
In the memorandum to Sangma, the Congress MDCs stated that there was provision to nominate unrepresented Scheduled Tribes in the present Amendment Bill in which they stated that they strongly oppose the provision and it should be deleted with regard to the KHADC as was done in Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC).
The MDCs said that the issue of land rights to include mineral rights has not been addressed in the said Amendment Bill and maintained that the matter needs to be discussed in finality under the provision of the Sixth Schedule.
No need to increase number of seats : Congress
Congress MDC Batskhem Ryntathiang said the existing numbers of seats in the KHADC should be retained and there was no need to increase the number of seats as there would be no benefit to increase the seats.
In the memorandum also they have shared the sentiment and said there was a proposal to increase the number of seats of the Members. The existing seats designated for filling up by election are felt to be adequate.
The MDCs said that for the Khasi Hills and the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District or Territory, at the most one more nominated member can be included to make of 31 members.
Meanwhile, Leader of opposition in the KHADC, Lamphrang Blah criticized the KHADC Chief Executive Member (CEM) Teinwell Dkhar for not being serious with the contentious issue and is taking it lightly
Congress MDC Carness Sohshang said the Executive Committee of Dkhar has failed. He asserted that the EC issued directions after NGOs raised a hue and cry over the NRC and criticised the EC that has copied and pasted what the NGOs did.
“The illegal immigrants have already entered. They have kidnapped our children,” he remarked.
He took a dig at the regional parties who coaxed the voters under the pretext to make laws to safeguard the community and forget their promises once they are in power and asserted the EC should resign.
Blah said village councils and municipal councils should be removed and as per custom retain the traditional concepts of dorbar raid, dorbar hima.
The memorandum also stated that in order to safeguard tribal rights, a clear definition of the words “adult suffrage” to mean voting rights of indigenous Khasi-Jaintia and Garo Tribes is required. Village and Urban local administration in the form of Dorbar Shnong, Dorbar Raid, Dorbar Hima or Elaka,Gittim Nokmas and the larger A’king Nokma administrative organizations.
The MDCs stated that the Bill in its present form was unacceptable. They pointed that there was no provision to recognize and empower the grassroot traditional democratic institutions like the Dorbar Shnong/ Dorbar Chnong/ Gittim Nokma, Dorbar Raid, Dorbar Hima/Elaka.
The MDCs further pointed out that there are terminological inconsistencies in the Amendment Bill in the present form. While the nomenclature of the ADCs will change to “Autonomous Territorial Council”, the words “District Councils” are still used in the amending sections.
The Khasis and Jaintias have codified their customs and practices but the Garos have not done yet.