SHILLONG, MAR 28: The Hima (chiefdom) of Malaisohmat on Sunday urged Meghalaya governor to give his assent to its bill seeking to codify the decade’s old customary practices of the hima.
While urging the District Council Affairs (DCA) department to speed up the process of forwarding the bill to the Governor, the Hima also blamed the then ARPA Executive Committee led by Ardent Basaiawmoit for attempting to dilute its customary laws.
The Malaisohmat Bill was tabled by the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) during its just concluded budget session held last month.
“We urged the DCA department to speed up sending the bill to the Governor. The Governor is also urged to grant his assent to the bill,” Hima secretary Ryngkatdor Malai told reporters at a press conference on Monday.
He said that the bill which was framed as per the tradition and customary practices of the hima since the year 1903 was approved in a dorbar held way back in 2012.
According to him, only the seven clans are eligible for the election of the Syiem (chief) and Myntris (ministers) as per customary practices.
While the Malai Clan and Sohmat Clan are the only two clans which are eligible to contest the post of a Syiem, the other five clans – Nongriang, Dewkhait, Sohtunrwah, Dewsaw and Rynsan are eligible for being elected as Myntris of the hima, the secretary said.
He also added, moreover the five Myntris are the only eligible electorates to elect the Syiem of the Hima.
However, the Hima alleged that there was an attempt to dilute the age-old customary practice of the Hima by the then All Regional Parties Alliance (ARPA) led by former KHADC CEM Ardent Basaiawmoit in 2014.
“He (Basaiawmoit) had introduced a new system in the election of Syiem by allowing all the people of the Hima to participate in the election, which is very much against the customary practices,” Myntri Sainker Kewkheid said.
The former KHADC CEM had approved the appointment of one Pailos Iawrot as the Syiem of the Hima.
According to Kewkheid, Iawrot clan actually cannot contest the post of Syiem.
The decision of the then ARPA executive committee was also challenged by the Hima in Court. In view of this, the Meghalaya High Court had also passed an order setting aside the decision taken by then EC, he said.
While hailing the steps taken by the present PDF EC led by PN Syiem, the Myntri said, “The decision of Basaiawmoit only reflects his lack of knowledge about the law and disrespecting the customary practices of the hima.”
Earlier last week, one Hilarius Wanniang who claimed himself to be a chairman of the Synjuk Ki Rangbah Shnong (SRS) and R Sohmat as a mark of protest tore the bill of Malaisohmat.
They have alleged that the bill had deleted the clans – Iawrot, Sohmat and Iawmuin- from the right to contest the election of the Syiem besides the present seats for the post of Myntri is too less.
Reacting to this, Kewkheid said, “We agree that who will not want that the seats in the State Assembly be increased to 200 from 60 and in the district council instead of 30 seats. But the fact is that the law does not allow us.”
He also said that clan Iawrot is not eligible for the post of Syiem and forget about the Iawmuin clan which is not even from the jurisdiction of Hima Malaisohmat. However except Sohmat clan can contest the election.
Stating that such Synjuk does not exist in the Hima, the myntri also termed the action of the two – Wanniang and Sohmat- as disrespectful to the decision of the people of Hima.
Meanwhile, the Hima has also alleged that R Sohmat’s failure to get elected as the Syiem of the Hima resulted in such problems. In fact he (Sohmat) is also one among the people who had supported the bill in the dorbar and now he is the same person trying to dilute the customary practices, Kewkheid alleged.-By Our Reporter
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