SHILLONG: The intervention of National Commission for Minorities has been sought for granting religious minority status to Niam Khasi.
In a recent letter addressed to the Chairman , National Commission for Minorities, the Seng Khasi Kenmynsaw Syntein, Mawsynram Syiemship said religious minority status should be granted to Niam Khasi (Indigenous Khasi religion) in Meghalaya besides national religious minority status by way of declaring Niam Khasi as national indigenous religion as per fundamental rights of the constitution of India.
Secretary, Seng Khasi Kenmynsaw Syntein, B. Myrthong said in the petition that earlier, the Supreme Court had asked a petitioner of the PIL seeking minority status for Hindu in eight states to approach the National Minorities Commission since it is the most competent body.
Hence, the Seng Khasi Kenmynsaw Syntein wanted the Commission to declare its religion in the name of Niam Khasi as the National Minorities Indigenous Religion in India.
Quoting another Supreme Court ruling, the Seng Khasi body said the majority Bench observed that linguistic and religious minorities are covered by the expression minority under article 30 of the Constitution of India.
The organisation pointed out that the Christians in Meghalaya are in majority with 75.59% but they enjoy the dual status benefits being the members of Schedule Tribe and Minority at the same time.
“But, we the indigenous people as Niam Khasi follow our own Khasi traditional religion, customs and usages but we are in the ‘other religions’ category and according to the census 2011, we are only 8.7% but we are denied the benefits as per the NCM Act (l992)”, the petitioner said, while urging the commission to grant religious minority status to Niam Khasi in Meghalaya and the whole country .
The Seng Khasi body also reminded that the High Court in its order in 2016 said that the state government should send its recommendation to the Centre to inform that “these tribes have been declared as minorities and therefore, the same benefits of central and state schemes of scholarships and other benefits available to the minorities shall also be extended to them”.
