SHILLONG: KHADC CEM Adelbert Nongrum has warned the various traditional heads who are misusing their power by ostracizing residents of their villages.
“We have taken strong cognizance of the increasing number of cases where traditional heads have misused their power,” Nongrum said while reacting to a recent ostracization case against a family by the Sordar of Mawkhli Village Dorbar, Blestar Wahspeh, who had gone to extent of withholding the annual progress report cards of four innocent children of the family.
The CEM said he would constitute an inquiry into the alleged ostracization of the family.
“We will not tolerate this kind of behaviour,” the KHADC CEM said while informing that he would summon the village Sordar in connection with the case involving the children.
Nongrum also came down heavily on the practice of ‘favoritism politics’.
“Just because you tend to have a close relationship with whoever is in the helm of affairs, you feel it is okay to abuse and misuse powers,” he said.
Meanwhile, EM in charge of Land, Morningstar Mawsor, made it clear that no village headman has the right to ostracize anybody.
Meanwhile, police have seized the school report cards of the four children from the Sordar of Mawkhli village, after he illegally withheld them just on the pretext that the children had also been ostracized along with their parents by the Dorbar Shnong.
Informing that a case under 107 IPC has been registered against the village head, a police official said, “Investigation into the case is on.”
The action by the police was based on an FIR lodged by the CSWO.
Police, however, is yet to arrest the Sordar.
The children who were victimized include John Firstborn Nongri (Class III), Michael Jackson Nongbri (Class III), Daphi Banri Nongbri (Class I) and Beautifully Nongbri (Nursery).
It may be mentioned that these children are students of a Government LP School in Mawkhli village.