SHILLONG: BJP leader and former minister from Tikrikilla KC Boro has said the recommendation of the state government to remove unrepresented tribes from the Sixth Schedule is unwanted and undesirable.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Boro, who is also the state president of Kisan Morcha, said the ‘inhuman’ decision is against constitutional right and natural justice.
Boro wondered whether the minority tribes are second class citizens in Meghalaya. Boro said the unrepresented tribe or other tribe is an ambiguous term. There are actually two categories of other tribes in Meghalaya like tribals outside Meghalaya- Naga, Mizo, Manipuri and others besides other tribes of Meghalaya such as Hajong, Koch, Rabha, Boro-Kachari and Maan including ‘Dalu’, Barman and ‘Banai’ which are yet to be recognised as the STs under the Sixth Schedule.
He said the minority tribes officially called as other tribes of Meghalaya like Hajong, Koch, Rabha, Boro-Kachari and Maan are the aboriginal inhabitants and the indigenous tribes of Meghalaya are Khasis, Jaintias and Garos.
“They (unrepresented tribes) have been staying in Meghalaya for ages together peacefully. They are called the bhumi putra (son of the soil). So, how can one say, they are not indigenous? “ Boro said.
Quoting the Constitution, the BJP leader said the exclusion of the Hajongs, Koches, Rabhas, Boro-Kacharis and Maans, the minority tribes/other tribes of Meghalaya from the Sixth Schedule is unjust.
The geography and the demography of Khasi and Jaintia Hills are quite different from that of Garo Hills. So, the minority tribes of Garo Hills should not be treated like the other tribes in Khasi-Jaintia Hills, he said.
Opposing the decision of the state’s sub-committee to exclude the unrepresented tribes especially of Garo Hills from the Sixth Schedule, Boro said the state government should think again before taking any final decision.
The prime duty and responsibility of any government is to give justice to each and every community and all the people of the state irrespective of caste, creed and religion.
“But, this is unfortunate that our government cannot give justice even to such small tribes who are very backward and innocent and who are living for more than 100 years peacefully in their respective places”, he said.
Out of more than 30 lakh population of the state, the minority tribes are only below 1.50 lakh. They regard the major tribes, Khasi- Jaintia and Garo, as their elder brothers and respect them, Boro said.
They are happy with whatever they are given by the government and with whatever they have. They have never created any nuisance for anything. They are just living peacefully without any complaints, he pointed out.
However, Boro said that now the government is torturing them mentally.
Giving an example of government’s job reservation policy, Boro said the minority tribes (other tribes), including scheduled castes were given only 5 per cent reservation.
“So practically they get only 2.5 per cent, or, 2 per cent. In 2002, the then Congress-led government brought amendment to Meghalaya Land Transfer Act, 1972 aiming at excluding the minority tribes from its purview.
Boro recalled that challenging the decision, he had moved a motion in the Assembly when he was a legislator and the government stopped the move. “This time, the NPP-led government under the leadership of Conrad Sangma has made a move for excluding the minority tribes from the Sixth Schedule.
“ I don’t see any difference between the Congress and the NPP government. This indicates that any government of Meghalaya is allergic to minority tribes and if that is the case, instead of torturing them, the government should take a decision to part the plains of Garo Hills (minority tribe-dominated areas) from Mendipathar up to Dalu via Tikrikilla, Phulbari , Rajabala, Ampati and Mahendraganj with Assam”, Boro said.
He said the government should hand over these areas to Assam and make Meghalaya ‘Minority Tribes Mukt State’. “If we are excluded from the Sixth Schedule, in turn, the government can give us a regional council under the Sixth Schedule and Article 244(2) and 275(1)”, Boro said.
He asked the state government to move the Governor or the Centre for creation of the same. Boro also appreciated Bernard Marak for his matured and positive statement that GHADC should not have any problem accommodating the unrepresented tribes.
Reservation
The former minister also pointed that the state government should partially modify the job reservation policy. He urged the government to give the existing 15 per cent general/merit quota (without disturbing the existing 80 per cent Khasi, Jaintia and Garo quota) to other tribes and scheduled castes at the rate of 10 per cent and 5 per cent respectively and give the existing 5 per cent quota of other tribes and scheduled castes to general quota and thus do justice to them.
