‘Khasi land became part of India under duress’
KHADC Winter Session
SHILLONG: UDP MDC Paul Lyngdoh on Tuesday said the indigenous people of the state would look at the relationship with India through a different prism if the Centre pushed ahead with the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.
The MDC was taking part in the discussion on the resolution moved by the Executive Member (EM) of the KHADC to oppose the CAB and to exempt the tribal areas and Meghalaya as a whole from its purview on the opening day of the winter session of the council.
Lyngdoh sounded the warning bell saying if the central government goes ahead with the bill the indigenous people are willing to look at their relationship with India in a different way.
Stating that the people have the power to tear apart and to trample upon the relationship with India, he said, “It will be a different relation between us and the Republic of India”.
He said the history of the integration of Khasi states into the Indian union needs to be revisited arguing that the Khasi Himas became part of India under duress.
He said that the state was never a part of India, but the chiefs of Himas were under duress to sign the Instrument of Accession (IOA) while Hima Nongstoin signed later in 1948.
Lyngdoh went on to say that the state became part of India under different circumstances.
“There is a need to revisit the history of India and we have a right to revisit our relation with India. We became a part of India under special conditions which cannot be done away with by brute majority”, he said.
He also said that the opposition to the CAB should be loud and clear. “Let us rise above party politics. Party is only a uniform”, he said.
He urged the public representatives to work for the interest of the people.
Colonial Union govt
The MDC said that the Council will prepare other action plans and said that the indigenous people are the owners of the tribal hills. “It should be an international issue. It cannot be a one-way track and to allow Delhi to do as it pleases will be similar to imperial power”, he said.
Referring to history where the British Raj ruled India with directions from London, he said that the Indian modern era is different with London being replaced by Delhi.
“The centre of activity has shifted from London to Delhi and it has taken the attitude of a colonial government,” he said.