Minority leader wants Mukul’s clarification
TURA: The Meghalaya Hajong Welfare Association (MHWA) on Sunday said the the move of the Meghalaya government to remove unrepresented tribes from the draft amendment of the Sixth Schedule is unfortunate and unconstitutional which would deprive the minority tribes like Hajongs, Koches, Rabhas, Boro-Kacharies and Manns from being represented to the state’s Autonomous District Councils.
In a statement issued on behalf of minority bodies like the Meghalaya Koch Association, Meghalaya Rabha Jatio Sewa Sangha, MSC of All Bodo Students Union, MSC of Bodo Sahitya Sabha, All Meghalaya Mann Welfare Society, Hajong Student Union CEC and All Rabha Student Union of Meghalaya, the Vice president of the MKWA, A Hajong said, “The move will defeat the spirit of the golden line of Democracy, ‘Government is by the people, for the people and of the people’. Further, the Constitution of India says that the Sixth Schedule is specially meant for the welfare and advancement of the Scheduled Tribes. Interestingly, the constitutionally elected Government of Meghalaya has already decided through a Sub-Committee on Amendment of the Sixth Schedule to deprive some of the Scheduled Tribes of their Constitutional rights in the District Council constituted under the Sixth Schedule. We urge Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to intervene in the matter”.
Stating that some opposition members have made it known that they are against the move by the government to amend the Sixth Schedule, Hajong urged the Leader of the Opposition, Mukul Sangma to clarify whether he is in favour of removing the words unrepresented tribes from the draft amendment of the Sixth Schedule.
“Tribal communities including Hajongs, Koches, Rabhas, Boro-Kacharies and Manns are indigenous to the State of Meghalaya and have been living here for years before the creation of Meghalaya. We express our dissatisfaction and anguish over the decision of the State Government which will certainly deprive us of our opportunity to represent in the ADCs as it will be not be possible for the indigenous minority Scheduled Tribes to get elected on the basis of adult suffrage,” Hajong added.