KHNAM proposes reforms to safeguard indigenous rights in ADC elections

SHILLONG, Jan 3: The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) has called for amendments to the Assam and Meghalaya Autonomous District (Constitution and the Procedure and Conduct of Business) Rules, 1951, which currently allow non-indigenous individuals to vote in council elections.
“We will amend Section 128 of the AD Rules, which allows non-indigenous people to vote, if we are elected to power. We will clearly define the eligibility of voters who are the indigenous Khasi tribals. It is not adult suffrage but tribal adult suffrage because the district council is for the tribal people,” KHNAM working president, Thomas Passah, said, maintaining this will be one of the agenda of the party manifesto for the upcoming elections to the autonomous district councils (ADCs).
Passah also highlighted the party’s intention to seek amendments to the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, to ensure that only indigenous communities are recognised as Scheduled Tribes (STs) in Meghalaya.
He expressed concern that tribals from other regions who settle in Meghalaya are being recognised as STs and enjoy associated rights, while local tribes do not receive similar recognition in other Northeastern states.
Passah criticised past Executive Committees of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) for viewing the Khasi Hills District (Trading by Non-Tribals) Regulations, 1954, primarily as a revenue-generating tool rather than as a measure to protect the business interests of indigenous tribes.
“Our people struggle to survive when competing with non-tribal businessmen. We need to ensure that trading licenses are not issued when our own people are capable of taking up the businesses,” Passah said.
He added that if KHNAM becomes part of the ruling council, they will establish a committee to review and re-examine all trading licenses issued by the council.
“We will cancel all licenses issued illegally. There could be over 100 such licenses requiring cancellation after a thorough review,” he stated.
Meanwhile, KHNAM working president noted that the party has been preparing for the elections for the past two years, anticipating that they would occur in February 2024.
“But the government decided to extend the term of the present house of the council on two occasions in view of the delimitation exercise which delayed the conduct of election by a year,” Passah added.