Tura, Sep 8: The Association for Democracy and Empowerment (ADE) from Garo Hills on Thursday expressed shock over the Cabinet’s nod for CrPC, 1973 and CPC, 1908 in tribal areas of the state warning that it would deteriorate the age old judiciary system and curtail the privileges of tribals living in a Sixth Scheduled state.
“We Garos, Khasis, Jaintia along with other tribal people living in Meghalaya want to live with our dignity intact while maintaining our true ethnic beliefs, rituals, moral codes, our customs, our values of life and our ethnic culture. Therefore, we appeal to all the MLAs irrespective of ruling or opposition, MDCs of GHADC, KHADC, JHADC reconsider the matter very carefully before reaching to any conclusion that may cause an adverse consequence for us,” its president Dalseng Bira Ch Momin said.
Making a scathing attack on the government, Momin said that it was ‘unfathomable’ why a government led by a tribal Chief Minister himself would even think of diminishing the powers of customary institutions like the District Council Courts, Village Courts, Laskars, Nokmas, Sardars, Doloi, Traditional Heads of Meghalaya etc.
Pointing out its observations that the current government, time and again, has been known for taking decisions unilaterally without consultations or discussions with the concerned parties involved, Momin warned that the association would not tolerate such kind of actions and initiate a state-wide movement if required.
The association also appealed to all MLAs and MDCs both ruling and the opposition to reconsider the matter carefully, lest it cause an adverse consequence for the citizens.
