SHILLONG, SEPT 14: Eight ngos led a peace march from Iewduh up to the additional secretariat amidst office till the secretariat on Monday even as the groups threatened to intensify their agitations against the state government’s failure to revoke the ordinance and also slammed the ruling Congress for projecting non-indigenous as candidates for the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) elections.
Organised by the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC),the peace march was also supported and participated by hundreds deployment of heavy security that were lined up right from the East Khasi hills deputy commissioner leaders and members from as many as eight ngos like HANM, MPUF, NWYF, JNU, EJNC, WJNC, RBSU and HPF.
The ngos reiterated the demand calling for the resignation of all the sixty MDCs of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) if the chief minister failed to respect the ADCs and the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
The ngos could not meet chief minister Mukul Sangma as he is presently camping in Garo hills.
“Whether you (government) invite us for talks or not, but we will go ahead with our decision to intensif agitations to ensure that the state government should immediately officially revoke the ordinance and refrain from drafting any laws for empowering the traditional institutions and heads, which are subject matter of the district councils,” HYC general secretary Robertjune Kharjahrin said.
He also told the government not to provoke the youths with its anti-custom, anti-indigenous and anti-tribal institutions actions.
Slamming the Congress for including two non-indigenous candidates to contest the ensuing elections to the GHADC, he said, “The chief minister is busy campaigning to ensure these non-indigenous candidates win the election and doesn’t have time to resolve issues which are concerning the state.”
Kharjahrin said there will come a time when they no longer would protest against the state government but the protest will be against the Congress party in the state.
Referring to their talks with the law minister and home minister recently, Kharjahrin said, “We are clear that if we are to talk on this issue, we want to have a face to face talk only with the chief minister but not his peons, who are just voiceless cabinet ministers.”
Appealing to the 60 MDCs to refrain from talking big only in papers, the HYC leader said, “We demand that all of them should immediately resign if the chief minister does not respect the district council and the Sixth Schedule.”
Kharjahrin said what is the point of sitting in the district council if their powers to protect the interest of the indigenous community are taken away by the state government.
Earlier speaking at a meeting before the rally, nine ngos leaders expressed their opposition against the attempt of the government to infringe and interfere into powers and subjects of the autonomous district councils (ADCs).
“How can we not oppose the ordinance which encourage self-styled headmen and even a non-indigenous person can become headman in schedule area besides any outsider can get a residential certificate from any places he resides in the state just in five days,” HYC president Peter Lawai said adding “Such ordinance should not be allowed to become an Act.”
Lawai said the ngos also protest against the government’s new draft bill which says that the state government can frame rules for the traditional institutions. He said, “If this is the case, for sure the rules of the district councils as well as the Hima will get diluted, since Para 12 A has clearly stated that the state law shall prevail.”
Meanwhile, the ngos also informed that they would sit and decide on their future course of action against the silent attitude of the state government.- By Our Reporter
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