NONGSTOIN, March 3: In a dramatic turn of events in the remote hamlet of Nengchigen in West Khasi Hills, a woman named Sandil G Marak laid claims to the title of Nokma of the village on Thursday and filed an FIR at Shallang PS against Kristina G Marak, who had earlier claimed to be the Nokma and had blown the lid off the illegal rat-hole mining being undertaken on community land in the village by filing an FIR and naming seven persons as being the kingpins of the illegalities.
The nondescript village and its 63 families, all Garos, came into focus on February 14 when Kristina filed the FIR alleging illegal coal mining being undertaken on community-owned land in her village.
An expose by The Shillong Times based on inputs provided by her, had such an impact that the High Court of Meghalaya took suo motu notice and directed the Chief Secretary as well as the Director-General of Police to file a report.
Following the court’s order, the deputy commissioner of South Garo Hills as well as the Inspector-General of Police (Law & Order) visited the village though the reports of their visit were yet to be known.
The matter of illegal coal mining within the village is still under investigation by the court which has referred the case to the full bench.
In her FIR filed on Friday, Sandil stated that she is the rightful Nokma of the village as she was appointed by the previous Nokma, Ranilla G Marak, who had inherited the tile from her predecessor, (L) Denje G Marak of the same clan since the obtainment of Nengchigen A’king land in 1981.
“I was shocked at the claims of Kristina Marak that she was the Nokma of the village. This is not true. She and her agents have been trying for many years to take over the Nokmaship but have failed. I am the true Nokma of the village and have the documents to prove it,” Sandil said in a statement.
She accused Kristina of falsely accusing seven persons of her village of mining coal within the village.
The FIR by Kristina on February 14 had named Alnet Marak, Clington Marak, Pandit Momin, Toban Marak, Nazim Ali, Lipson Momin and Pangseng Sangma of not only mining coal illegally but also terrorising the village by deploying armed militants.
“Alnet Marak is the agent of the village as per the Syiemship records. In Nengchigen (Goreng B) of Gare Hawepal clan’s land, I am the only Nokma, whose name is included and mentioned along with other 16 Ma’chong (relatives of the clan) and appointed as inheriting Nokma after (L) Denje G. Marak and duly approved by Syiem of Nongstoin in the Registrar Kyndew of Nongstoin Syiemship, vide registration book No. XXIl and registration number 811 RN, dated Nongstoin on March 30, 2021,” she stated in her FIR.
Sandil claimed that the seven persons were being falsely accused of mining coal within the village since no mining activity was taking place in the village.
She also rubbished Kristina’s claims that policemen were being paid Rs 500 per truck of illegal coal mined from the village.
“There has been no coal mined in our village since the NGT injunction in 2014. Since no coal has been mined the question of paying policemen does not even arise. Further her (Kristina’s) claims of armed men and militants within the village protecting the illegal mining is also false as we have not encountered anyone of this sort despite living in the same village,” Sandil added.
The complainant, through her FIR, has asked for action to be taken against Kristina on her claim of Nokmaship.
Meanwhile, the receipt of the FIR was confirmed by the Police department in Shallang, West Khasi Hills.