jurisdiction Dispute
SHILLONG, July 6: In a direct challenge to the authority of the KHADC, the Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO) on Monday called on traditional heads across the Khasi Hills to either return their appointment letters (Sanad) in protest or force a “Constitutional Convention” to end decades of ambiguity over who governs indigenous land and customs.
In an open letter to the Syiems, Lyngdohs, Sirdars, Wahadadars, and Rangbah Shnongs, HITO president Donbok Dkhar urged traditional authorities to unite against the recurring jurisdictional disputes between the Council and ancestral institutions.
Dkhar argued that the current system has left the legal status of traditional governance in limbo. He proposed that traditional heads return their Sanads to the KHADC as a radical symbolic appeal until their constitutional role is clarified. Alternatively, he suggested the Council must allow a “Constitutional Convention” on its premises.
The proposed convention would bring together legal experts, historians, and representatives from every Hima to codify laws governing the Dorbar Shnong, Dorbar Raid, and Dorbar Hima. The goal is to define indigenous land administration and the powers of traditional authorities in relation to the Sixth Schedule.
HITO expressed particular concern that traditional institutions currently have no formal role in the KHADC’s law-making process, despite legislation often directly affecting their duties and jurisdiction. Dkhar described this lack of consultation as a primary cause of conflict and called for a formal mechanism to ensure traditional heads have a direct say in future laws.
The letter also touched upon the historical sensitivity of the Instrument of Accession and agreements entered into by former Khasi States, noting that these foundations require deeper legal examination to resolve modern administrative deadlocks.
Reiterating that the move is not an attack on the KHADC but a demand for clarity, HITO stated that the objective is to secure long-term legal certainty for Khasi identity and indigenous rights. If the traditional chiefs heed the call to return their Sanads, it could trigger a significant administrative crisis between the constitutional Council and the village-level authorities.
