SHILLONG, Dec 15: The Meghalaya Peoples’ Human Rights Council (MPHRC), on Wednesday, asked the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to request the Government of India to recognise and include the Khasi and Garo languages under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution “since one of the provisions of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) stresses on the right to revitalize, use, develop and transmit to future generations their histories, languages, oral traditions, philosophies, writing systems and literatures”.
This was one of the recommendations put forward by the MPHRC during the two-day ‘Open Hearing and Camp Sitting’ organised by the NHRC here, which concluded on Wednesday.
Apart from the language recognition, the MPHRC recommended that the NHRC should recognise the UNDRIP, which was adopted in the year 2007 by the UN General Assembly and for which India was one of the UN Member States who voted in favour.
Taking up one of the burning question in the nation involving the Northeastern region, the MPHRC also suggested that the NHRC must urge the Centre to revoke the implementation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the North East.
“Though Meghalaya is already out from the purview of the Act, however, we are extremely concerned that AFSPA gives armed forces the power to use force or even open fire after giving due warning if they feel a person is in contravention of the law,” the recommendation stated.
Lastly, it recommended that the NHRC must strongly urge the Union government to ratify the UN Convention against Torture and “to table the Draft Prevention Bill in the Parliament so that once it becomes an Act it will prevent all kind of police atrocities and other form of torture with the four walls of the police stations”.
On the other hand, the National Human Rights Commission has recommended that payment of Rs 15 lakh as relief in different cases of violation of human rights of people belonging to different categories in the states of Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura.
During the hearing of 19 cases, the state governments’ officers informed that they have already paid Rs 10.56 lakh as per the recommendations of the Commission in some cases to the victims and the remaining Rs 44,000 is being disbursed soon and the proof of payment will be sent to the NHRC.
All 19 cases, related to Meghalaya (6), Mizoram (3) and Tripura (10), were heard in the ‘open hearing’ by the full bench of the commission, presided over by the Member Justice MM Kumar, and members of the Commission, Dr DM Mulay and Rajiv Jain.
NHRC Secretary General Bimbadhar Pradhan, Director General (Investigation) Santosh Mehra, Registrar (Law) Surajit Dey, Joint Secretary Harish Chandra Chaudhary and other senior officers and staff of the Commission, besides officers of the state governments of all the three states as well as complainants were present.
Two cases pertaining to deaths of labourers in illegal mines in Meghalaya were heard. One of the cases related to the forcible eviction of tribals living in the forest area in Tripura was also taken up.
A case of death in judicial custody in West Jaintia Hills was closed as the Meghalaya State Human Rights Commission had taken prior cognizance. In the case of non-distribution of food through PDS to Chakma people, the Commission has asked the Secretary of Mizoram State Legal Services Authority to verify the version of information of the state authorities.
The Commission has asked Meghalaya to submit proof of payment of Rs 3 lakh in a case of encounter death, while Mizoram has been tasked to show proof of payment of an amount of Rs 5 lakh in a case related with police custody.
During their interaction on Wednesday, the Commission also held discussions with NGOs and members of the civil society, who raised issues pertaining to healthcare, SCs/STs, women, the elderly and children.
The Commission reiterated that the NGOs are the eyes and ears of the Commission, and that they are true partners of the Commission in spreading awareness regarding promotion and protection of human rights.
A meeting of the Commission with Chief Secretaries, DGs of Police and their representatives, and other senior officers of all the three states was also held during the afternoon on Tuesday.
