Tura, Mar 2: Rongrong MDC, Rinaldo K Sangma as well as the Achik State People’s Forum (ASPF) have come down in strong condemnation of the statement of former MLA of Phulbari, SG Esmatur Mominin questioning the legality of the GHADC passing a notification that allowed ST certificates as a mandatory qualification for filing their nomination for the upcoming MDC elections.
Rinaldo K. Sangma strongly defended the mandatory Scheduled Tribe certificate requirement for candidates contesting the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council elections, calling it “constitutionally sound and morally necessary.”
Responding to remarks by the former Phulbari MLA, Sangma asserted that the Sixth Schedule was designed to protect tribal self-governance and the identity of the Garo people.
“The GHADC exists to safeguard our land, customs, and political rights. Representation must remain with the people it was created to protect,” Sangma said, urging leaders to respect the letter and spirit of the Constitution ahead of the upcoming council polls.
Meanwhile the ASPF, through its general secretary, Bernita Marak too condemned the statement of Mominin while referring to constitutional safeguards that are provided to Sixth Schedule areas.
“Mominin’s video wherein he is seen attempting to challenge and undermine the statutory and constitutional provisions governing the electoral process of the GHADC. Such actions strike at the very heart of constitutional governance and amount to an attempt to unsettle a carefully structured legal framework designed to safeguard tribal autonomy, identity and self-governance under the Constitution of India, particularly the Sixth Schedule,” said Bernita Marak, the general secretary.
ASPF added that the constitutional scheme embodied in the Sixth Schedule is not a mere procedural arrangement but a solemn covenant-crafted with deliberate care by the framers of the Constitution-to protect the political, cultura, and social rights of indigenous tribal communities.
“Under Article 244(2) of the Constitution of India, the Sixth Schedule establishes a distinct constitutional mechanism for autonomous administration in tribal areas of Northeast India. It grants Autonomous District Councils legislative, administrative and judicial authority, thereby affirming the principle that tribal communities must be the primary custodians of their own governance,” she added.
She added that any attempt to circumvent or challenge the statutory provisions governing the GHADC electoral process is legally untenable and constitutionally indefensible.
“We therefore call upon the competent authorities to take serious cognizance of this matter and to ensure that the constitutional provisions, statutory regulations, and established electoral processes governing the GHADC are upheld both in letter and in spirit. The sanctity of the constitutional framework protecting tribal autonomy must not be compromised, diluted, or subjected to unwarranted challenge under any circumstances,” the ASPF asserted.
“The rule of law must prevail, constitutional supremacy must be maintained, and the rights of tribal communities must remain sacrosanct. Anything less would be a disservice to the constitutional vision and a betrayal of the trust reposed in democratic institutions,” they added.
