SHILLONG, OCT 22: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has decided to table Khasi Social Custom of Lineage Bill, 2018 and an official resolution for implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in its special session to be held on October 25-26.The decision was taken at the meeting of the executive committee (EC) chaired by the Council’s chief Hispreaching Son Shylla here on Monday.
Speaking to journalists, Shylla said the meeting has decided to immediately write to the Chairman of the KHADC Manstudy Nongrem for convening the special session on October 25-26.
“We will be tabling the Khasi Social Custom of Lineage Bill 2018, Subordinate Council of Traditional Chiefs and Headmen Bill 2018, Town Committee Rules for implementing the building bye-laws and an official resolution on implementation of the ILP,” he said.
Asked, the KHADC chief said that peace will prevail and development will come once the Khasi Social Custom of Lineage Bill and the Inner Line Permit (ILP) are implemented as the state will no longer witness protest arising out of the feeling of insecurity in the future.
“The implementation of these two laws will no doubt take out the fear from the hearts of the people. There will be peace and when peace prevails, it is only then we will see an all round development taking place,” he stated.
He said that the Khasi Social Custom of Lineage Bill to be re-introduced in the two-day special session has clearly define the custom of marriage which is based on the principle of “Tip Kur-Tip Kha” – to regard the matrilineal relationship and also the paternal relations.
“The Bill is a codification of the Khasi custom of marriage where a woman cannot marry a non-Khasi man,” Shylla added.
With regards to the unique customary practice of ‘Ringbia’ or ‘Shaw Bhoi’ by certain clans in Ri Bhoi District where a male would marry a woman from other communities to preserve the clan, Shylla said, “We have included a proviso in the Bill, to allow the practice to continue by the indigenous Khasi clans in the district.”
It may be mentioned here that during the 2013-ILP agitations, the state government had expressed its inability to implement the ILP and decided to come up with the comprehensive mechanism to check influx and illegal immigration into the state.
Asked whether the decision of the KHADC is not contradicting with the stand of the state government, Shylla however claimed that the Council is infact acting on the direction of the state government to take action on the demand for implementation of the ILP.
“It was the government who had sent a letter to all the three Autonomous District Councils based on the February 23, 2017-memorandum of the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) which demanded the government to implement the ILP,” he said.
He further informed that he had also consulted with his legal advisers Erwin K Sutnga and Robertjune Kharjahrin, who is also the HYC president, to know as to the source of law which allows the district council to implement the ILP.
“On studying, we found out that application of law regulations, 1952 which was prior to establishments of the ADCs, where the governor had listed the central laws right from British era which include Eastern Bengal Regulations 1873 and others. These were notified by the governor and assent by the president of India,” he said.
He added, “Through the official resolution, we would therefore urge the governor to notify the Eastern Bengal Regulation, 1873 for the implementation of the ILP in the jurisdiction of the Council.”
To a another question, the KHADC chief said that the Council would be implementing the ILP through the Village and Town Police, 1991, where it would have its own manpower dedicated for checking influx and illegal immigration within its jurisdiction.
“However, the Village and Town Police Bill 1991 is still lying pending with the state government till date. We would soon request the state government to speed up the passage of this Bill,” he said.
According to him, the implementation of the ILP will also pave way for providing employment to educated unemployed youths besides boosting the revenue generation of the Council.
“We will be putting up dedicated check gates,” he said while stating that the saying that ILP will affect the inflow of tourists to the state is not true as it will in fact ensure their safety because once they obtain the permit, nobody can create any problem for them.
Also stating that it will also help in addressing the problem of traffic congestion in Shillong city, he said that vehicles from outside which are carrying tourists will not get to enter the city as tourists will be taken to tourist spots by local cabbies.
Meanwhile, Shylla further alleged that the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act passed by the state government in 2016 aims at facilitating influx into the state.
“It (Act) is not only weak but it is aimed at facilitating influx of non-tribal into the state as it mainly aims to restrict only criminals,” he stated.
By Our Reporter
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