Hima Mylliem invites five villages for meet on separate Raid Khasi demand

NONGPOH, Oct 23: The Chief of Hima Mylliem, along with the Dorbar Syiem (Traditional Council), has called a meeting with leaders of five villages — Umbuda, Iewmawlong, Mawphrew, Umjarasi, and Mawtnum — to discuss their longstanding demand for a separate Raid Khasi. The villages are seeking separation from Raid Marngar, under which they currently fall.
In an official communication signed by the Deputy Chief (Symbud Syiem) of Hima Mylliem, village leaders were invited to the Syiem’s office in Mawkhar on October 30. The meeting aims to deliberate on the request raised by these villages for recognition of their own Raid.
The demand for autonomy dates back several decades. These five villages, largely inhabited by members of the Khasi and Bhoi communities, have been advocating for the establishment of a separate Raid since the early 2000s. According to CB Syiem, the headman of Umbuda and a former Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), Hima Mylliem initially promised to meet the villages’ demands.
“Pa’iem Latho Manik Syiem (the former chief of Hima Mylliem) assured us in 2010 that the new Raid would be granted. However, the promise was later rescinded on the grounds that the villages did not follow the necessary religious customs and rituals like other Raids,” said CB Syiem, expressing frustration over the delay.
Following what they perceived as a betrayal, the five villages approached KHADC, requesting not only the creation of a new Raid but also a distinct administrative unit (Elaka) for their community. The council’s involvement is now crucial, as the villages seek to formalise their separation from Hima Mylliem’s jurisdiction.
CB Syiem, who also chairs the coalition representing these villages, criticised the traditional leadership of Hima Mylliem, claiming that their treatment as mere tenants (‘raiot’) rather than descendants of original settlers undermines their rights. “Pa’iem Latho Manik Syiem’s assertion that those governing Raid Marngar are not true descendants but just raiot is unacceptable,” he added.
When asked whether they will attend the upcoming meeting on October 30, CB Syiem stated that any decision would depend on consultations with other village leaders. He also emphasised that Hima Mylliem no longer holds jurisdiction over the five villages, as their matters now legally lie under the purview of KHADC.
Meanwhile, Pa’iem Richard Syiem, the chief of Raid Marngar, has expressed strong opposition to the division of the Raid. He clarified that the term “Marngar” refers not to an ethnic identity but simply to the Raid’s name, which has existed since the era of the Hima Shyllong.
“Marngar is not a community but a historical name associated with the Raid,” said Richard Syiem, explaining that the area has long been governed according to traditional practices, with familial clans, rituals, and stone markers symbolising its heritage.
The upcoming meeting at the end of the month is expected to shed more light on the issue, as both Hima Mylliem and KHADC attempt to address the villages’ demand for autonomy.