Editor,
The Government of Meghalaya has repeatedly failed to provide opportunities for non-tribals. With reference to the statement made by the New EC of KHADC (ST March 1, 2025) regarding the ban on fresh trading licenses for non-tribal businessmen, this move is seen as an effort to promote economic opportunities for the local tribal population. However, some argue that it could negatively impact non-tribal traders who have been running businesses in the region for decades. It is to be noted that local tribals are now at par with non-tribals in terms of business acumen.
Many non-tribals are looking for opportunities to grow economically and secure their livelihoods in the limited areas where they have resided for decades. It is highly inappropriate to declare that fresh trading licenses will not be issued to non-tribal traders in areas where tribals can engage in business. This indirectly suggests that non-tribals can no longer engage in trade, which contradicts the Sixth Schedule, as local tribals are already capable of excelling in various fields—from selling land to establishing major businesses and factories.
This decision is a clear violation of Articles 16 and 21 of the Indian Constitution, which ensure the Right to Live with Dignity, Right to Livelihood, and Right to a Healthy Environment. No citizen should face discrimination based on race, religion, caste, or sex.
This is not the first time the non-tribal population of Meghalaya has been deprived of its rights. They have also been denied the right to vote in KHADC elections, where non-tribals were once nominated as MDCs during the late 1950s in the United Khasi & Jaintia Hills District Council.
Non-tribals have long struggled for their right to livelihood. Time and again, different political parties have voiced their opposition to granting non-tribals basic rights—ranging from business opportunities to employment. Non-tribals in Meghalaya face various hostilities, including threats and even killings. However, neither the government of Meghalaya nor the Opposition has taken a strong stand to condemn these injustices. In such a scenario, where more than 90% of Meghalaya falls under the Sixth Schedule and 85% of government employment is reserved for STs, the tribal population already enjoys significant security. This raises an important question about the well-being of genuine non-tribals who have been born and raised in Meghalaya for generations. These non-tribals have spent their entire lives in the State and consider Meghalaya their home. Yet, under these conditions, they are left with no choice but to leave the state in search of a dignified life elsewhere.
If such statements continue to be made by responsible public representatives, it will send a negative message not only to the people of the state but also to the entire country. Continued atrocities against non-tribals will eventually force them to leave Meghalaya permanently, as they will no longer have the means to support themselves and their families.
Currently, non-tribals are deprived of:
1. The right to buy land in areas under the Sixth Schedule.
2. Employment opportunities in the government sector.
3. Trading rights in Sixth Schedule areas.
4. Land purchase and property ownership from non-tribals to non-tribals.
An Appeal for Justice
India is a country where tribals are not barred from engaging in business or securing government jobs. How would they feel if they were treated the same way? Now is the time for non-tribals to stand up and fight for their constitutional rights. We must demand accountability from our representatives, who have won elections using non-tribal votes, only to later ignore their issues.
Call to Action
During the 1972 formation of Meghalaya, the non-tribal population constituted 20%, but today, their numbers have drastically reduced to 9%. If this trend continues, it will further decline, and non-tribals will lose all their rights. The 2028 elections will determine whether Meghalaya will remain inclusive or whether non-tribals will continue to be marginalized.
At the time of elections, leaders from different political parties mislead our tribal brothers and sisters. It is crucial to visit government websites and verify facts about the influx instead of believing false narratives.
This is an appeal to senior, respected individuals in society to intervene and speak up for the welfare of the non-tribal population, who have contributed significantly to Meghalaya’s development.
Yours etc.,
Homnath Gautam,
Shillong-2
Environment a casualty
Editor,
It is a crying shame that in spite of snowfall and avalanche alerts since February 24, labourers working on a stretch of the road to Badrinath Dham had not been evacuated in time. Four days later no action was taken to bring those labourers to a safer place. As a result, some labourers were killed and many went missing when avalanches hit the area on February 28. This indicates total apathy towards the safety of labourers. Now, who will be accountable for playing with so many lives? India needs stringent labour laws and their strict implementation. Otherwise, such a tragedy will become a routine affair. In fact the loss of lives of the labourers in the Uttarakhand avalanche came immediately after the Telangana tunnel collapse tragedy.
Tunnel disasters, one after another also point to a tunnel vision on safety protocols for labourers. Fifteen months after the Silkyara Bend-Barkot tunnel disaster in Uttarakhand in November 2023, a portion of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal tunnel in Telangana collapsed on February 22, trapping eight workers. The trapped workers have not yet been traced. The Silkyara tunnel had collapsed trapping 41 workers for 17 days. After they were miraculously rescued by rat hole miners, the project restarted and an operator, Govind Kumar, was killed when a machine on which he was sitting fell into a 25-feet-deep trench near the mouth of the Silkyara tunnel. This indicates how the safety of labourers is of least concern.
Tunnel collapse also points to a lack of evaluation of environmental issues before undertaking such projects. Now, let us shift our focus to Joshimath. Joshimath has to suffer because of a cavalier attitude to its environment. According to official reports, Joshimath is slowly sinking. Cracks have developed in many buildings, temples, and even on the pavements and streets. Joshinath’s sinking is primarily due to “development”. Ignoring all warnings, water has been pumped out from beneath the ground for farming, making the sand and stone fragile and the soil dipping.
A government study in 1976 had cautioned that Joshimath was sinking. The study suggested that a ban should be imposed on heavy construction work in the area. But this warning is callously ignored. Authorities let hotels, lodging houses, and eateries mushroom in Joshimath. A number of hydroelectric power projects are also built around the town. Many roads have been laid and many tunnels have been made to improve connectivity.
Geologists MPS Bisht and Piyoosh Rautela said in their paper, “Disaster looms large over Joshimath’ published in Current Science in 2010, tthat a major concern was the Tapovan Vishnugad hydro power project whose tunnel traverses through the geologically fragile area below Joshimath. Environmental issues are ignored in smart city projects also. The roads of the “smart city”, Panaji, were flooded after the heavy morning showers in April last year. The flooded roads in a “smart city” highlight faulty urban planning. Without being sensitive to both ecology and equality, a city cannot achieve smartness. It is dangerous to evade environmental impact assessment before excavation for building a tunnel or a high-rise. Moreover, inequality does not let anything look smart. Would a model look smart by wearing a brand new costly coat along with a cheap, shabby pair of trousers which he tries to hide?
The way our cities bulldoze the environment annoyed Tagore. He wrote the poem, ‘To Civilisation’ (Sabhyatar Proti), where he said, “Oh new civilisation! Bring back that forest and take this city full of irons, bricks, logs, and stones.” Any effort to bulldoze the environment and workers’ rights in the guise of development must be prevented at all costs.
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata