KAAC chief’s remark draws more flak

SHILLONG, Dec 3: The All Party Hills Leaders Conference (APHLC), a regional party based in Karbi Anglong district of Assam, has condemned the remark made by the Chief Executive Member of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) Tuliram Ronghang.
“The APHLC condemns Chief Executive Member, KAAC, Tuliram Ronghang’s statement of calling the Khasis, Jaintias, Pnars and other hill tribes as illegal settlers, which is totally wrong. He should apologise,” said president of Vothatlangso Legislative Committee of APHLC, Bikram Hanse.
“In the Sixth Schedule Areas, the Karbis, Khasis, Jaintias, Garos, Dimasas etc have equal rights, so the hill tribes in Karbi Anglong and NC Hills are never illegal settlers,” he added.
Earlier, Ronghang had claimed that Mukroh village falls under the jurisdiction of Assam and that the Khasi-Pnar inhabitants of Mukroh are illegal settlers.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma had also taken umbrage at Ronghang’s remarks and said that he had taken up the matter with his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma.
“These kinds of statements should not have been made. We do not appreciate these statements at this point of time when we are having challenges. These statements don’t help the situation at all,” Conrad had said.