SHILLONG, JUNE 26: Border residents have sought the intervention of the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma for immediate retransferring of Block I and II to Meghalaya by denotifying the April 13, 1951 notification.
The demand was made by a delegation of the residents of Block I and II before Sangma during a meeting held here on Monday.
In a memorandum handed over to Sangma, the border residents said that Block I and Block II were transferred by the Governor of Assam in exercise of his powers under Para 1 to the Sixth Scheduled of the Constitution of India through the Notification dated the 13th April, 1951. This has resulted in grave injustice for the Khasi-Jaintia people living in these two areas.
The State of Meghalaya comprises of the area defined in Para 20 of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India Khasi Hills Autonomous District is part of the State of Meghalaya as described in the First Schedule to the Constitution of India which are the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council and the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council.
The memorandum said that the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council and the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council were part of the erstwhile “United Khasi-Jaintia District Council”, which was formed as part of the then Province of Assam within the Dominion of India by the process of the framing and creation of the Constitution of India and not by any Instrument of Merger.
“In an act, that can only be described as arbitrary, oppressive and unconstitutional, the areas known as Block I and Block II of the United Khasi and Jaintia Hills District were forcibly excluded and tagged with the then Mikir Hills Autonomous District Council by the notification No. TAD/R/31/50/148 dated the 13th April, 1951. While the action of the Governor of Assam was under a Constitutional provision his action was against human rights principles which have resulted in severe oppression of the Khasi-Jaintia people living in this area upto the present time. We have faced deprivation and threats, assault and killings as well as criminal intimidation in all forms,” it said.
“We are following a matrilineal forms of society which in the main conflicts with the patriarchal system prevailing in the Karbi Anglong Autonomous District. That now this injustice created by a constitutional provision and resulting illegalities and assault on our rights makes it necessary that the Government of India, the Government of Meghalaya, the Government of Assam and the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council be urged to rectify this historical act of oppression against the Khasi-Jaintia Tribe by returning and restoring back Block I and Block II to Meghalaya and the Khasi-Jaintia Tribe as per the boundaries within the notification of the 13th April, 1951 mention hereinabove which should be denotified by the Government of India as part of the final settlement of the Meghalaya-Assam interstate boundary,” it added.
The memorandum further stated that the absolute ownership of Khasi-Jaintia tribal land is inalienable from the identity of the Khasi-Jaintia Tribe.
“Taking away of our land constitutes an infringement which violates and destroys our constitutional relationship with the Union of India. The use of any legal mechanism to enable violations of our rights is abhorrent, unconstitutional and demeaning, reducing our status within the federal structure of India,” the border residents said.
They also requested the chief minister to resolve the issue of Block I and Block II on the principles outlined above to enable the return back of Block I and Block II to the State of Meghalaya as is right under law and the Constitution of India.
By Our Reporter
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