From Our Correspondent
Tura: Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma has called on the Rabhas to do everything possible to preserve their cultural heritage and informed that a centre for culture and literacy will be set up at Tikrikilla.
The Chief Minister was the chief guest at the 36th biennial conference of the Meghalaya Rabha Jatio Sewa Sangha on Saturday at Pothamati area of Tikrikilla where he announced the formation of a centre that will look into preservation of traditional values of the Rabhas by way of setting up a museum that will house the community’s literature and way of life.
The Chief Minister also said that the government has sanctioned Rs 14 crore for rehabilitation and development of the Bajengdoba-Resubelpara-Mendipather region which bore the brunt of last year’s ethnic clashes between the Garos and the Rabhas.
He said that it is imperative for communities to co-exist in an atmosphere of mutual trust and also said that demands of the people of Tikrikilla to upgrade their primary health centre into that of a community health centre will soon bear fruit with the government already deciding to appoint an extra doctor for the centre.
He also called for more active participation by political parties for a lively and healthy democracy to thrive.
Earlier, a delegation of elders from the Rabha community met the Chief Minister to seek adequate compensation for the victims of last year’s ethnic clashes. The delegation has demanded that the government pay ten lakh rupees each for the families of two Rabha victims who were murdered during the ethnic turmoil.
They also want the Meghalaya government to take up the matter of displacement of Rabhas in neighbouring Assam and also opposed the inclusion of the Rajbongshis with the Koch community in the Scheduled Tribe status.
