From Our Correspondent
NONGPOH, May 24: The bone of contention between the traditional chief of Raid Marwet and an RTI activist has turned ugly, with the former now resorting to legal action by filing both a civil defamation suit and a civil criminal case against the latter.
Addressing media persons on Saturday, Syiem of Raid Marwet, Pa’iem Ken Syiem, said the legal recourse was chosen in the wake of the public allegations made by RTI activist Manbhalang Phankon, who accused him of illegally selling land under Raid Marwet to non-tribals—claims that have been circulated across various media outlets in recent weeks.
Giving a lie to the accusations, the Syiem challenged Phankon to provide verifiable evidence, specifying the locations of the allegedly sold lands.
He asserted that should Phankon fail to substantiate his accusations, he must issue a public apology through media platforms.
Maintaining that such baseless allegations seriously damage his personal integrity and social standing as a traditional leader, Syiem clarified that Raid Marwet is inhabited by both Khasi and non-Khasi communities, and land within the Raid cannot be arbitrarily sold to outsiders due to the provisions of the Meghalaya Land Transfer Act, 1971.
He noted that residents, who settled before the Act came into effect, are protected from retroactive enforcement.
Responding to allegations that he had refused to provide information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, Syiem clarified that his office does not fall under the purview of the RTI Act, as it does not receive any direct support from the government.
He added that it would be beneficial if Phankon could clarify the legal grounds or provisions under which the traditional institution is allegedly subject to RTI regulations.
The traditional chief stated that if Phankon is genuinely concerned about the welfare of Raid Marwet, he should constructively engage with the traditional authorities by offering suggestions on how to protect the land and its resources instead of leveling unverified accusations.
It may be mentioned that Phankon had earlier petitioned the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), calling for an immediate investigation into alleged irregularities in land transactions facilitated by the office of the Syiem of Raid Marwet and the Dorbar.
In his petition, Phankon has also accused the traditional authority of violating the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, by refusing to respond to a formal inquiry on matters pertaining to land.
He had alleged that an RTI application was initially submitted to the Syiem of Mylliem on January 23, 2025, seeking details about land procurement and allocation involving both local and non-local residents under the jurisdiction of the Syiem of Raid Marwet, but to no avail.