By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 3: The BJP, which largely depends on non-tribal voters to win any seat in Meghalaya, is treading carefully on the matter of debarring non-tribal participation in the GHADC elections.
The GHADC has made it mandatory for the candidates contesting the April 10 MDC elections to possess a Scheduled Tribe certificate.
BJP spokesperson Mariahom Kharkrang on Tuesday refused to comment anything, saying that the party is yet to sit and discuss the issue. He said that it is too early to make any comment.
Pressure groups and some political parties are opposing the participation of non-tribals in the GHADC polls. They were allowed to contest earlier.
Meghalaya BJP vice president and Tura MDC Bernard N. Marak on Monday said the Hill Tribes have had a separate Hill District since 1869. He maintained that only communities recognised under the ST list are constitutionally eligible to represent the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs).
Marak said the ADCs were constituted under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India specifically to safeguard the interests, land, customs and governance systems of the Hill Tribals. He emphasised that the very objective of the Sixth Schedule was to protect tribal communities from external dominance and intrusion.
Referring to historical developments in the Garo Hills, he said earlier regulations such as Regulation X and the Garo Hills Act were introduced during the British period to shield Hill Tribals from exploitation, including attempts at taxation, land acquisition and interference by zamindars from the plains. He said these protections were later reflected in the Sixth Schedule framework.
Marak further stated that only tribes falling under the ST list are eligible to represent the ADCs, reiterating that the councils were never intended to accommodate non-tribal representation. He expressed concern over what he described as attempts to dilute constitutional safeguards meant exclusively for Hill Tribals.
He also raised issues relating to land administration in the Garo Hills, questioning the application of the Assam Schedule in leasing land and the issuance of periodic pattas under the GHADC, stating that such measures must strictly adhere to the spirit and provisions of the Sixth Schedule.
