SHILLONG: Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) chief executive member HS Shylla said the bills passed by the council should be forwarded by the state government to the governor before the election.
Irked at the delay by the state government, Shylla claimed that the governor is willing to pass the bills.
At the clan meeting called by the KHADC on Monday, the Synjuk Ki Rangbah Kur (Association of Clan Elders) was formed with the CEM as the president of the ad hoc committee of the association.
“Since I am being elected as the president of the Synjuk, I have taken the decision to not contest the MDC election. I have seen that district council has passed many bills and yet we see lackadaisical attitude of the state government even as the governor has expressed his willingness to give his assent to the bills,” he told reporters.
The bills are Khasi Hills Autonomous District (Inner Line as adopted from the Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873) Regulation Bill, 2018, KHAD (The Khasi Social Custom of Lineage) (First Amendment), Bill, 2018, KHAD (Khasi Social Custom of Clan Administration), Bill, 2018, Khasi Hills Autonomous District (Constitution of Subordinate Council of Traditional Chiefs and headmen) Rules, 2018.
Shylla said the council election will start next month and the code of conduct will come into effect on February 2 but the state government has not taken any step yet.
“On my part I feel it is meaningless to be an MDC and pass the Bill only to see that the bills get stuck in the Secretariat. It is an insult to the Jaitbynriew,” Shylla said.
On Monday, the KHADC held a meeting which was attended by clan elders that have established the Seng Kur. There are around 4,000 Khasi clans but only a few have organised themselves.
Speaking about the Synjuk Ki Rangbah Kur, Shylla said Synjuk will see that the indigenous community has its own laws to protect it.
The members of the adhoc committee will meet again soon, as there will be a drafting committee of the constitution.
Shylla also said the formation of the Synjuk will prevent other communities from illegally taking Khasi surnames.
