SHILLONG, APR 5: Banned Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) has called for 12 hours bandh on April 9 the day Meghalaya goes to polls for the Shillong and Tura Lok Sabha parliamentary seats. The bandh will be effective from 5 am to 5 pm.
The boycott call was given on Saturday evening to protest against centre’s political inability to solve the issues related to the welfare of Hynniewtrep.
In a press statement, the HNLC said the decision was taken at an emergent central executive committee (CEC) meeting of the political department of the HNLC.
The 5 am to 5 pm shutdown will be effective in the entire Shillong parliamentary constituency covering six districts in the Khasi and Jaintia region, HNLC publicity secretary Sainkupar Nongtraw said the statement. He said, the HNLC would like to appeal to the people of Hynniewtrep to boycott the drama of elections enacted by the government of India.
Terming the present political system as the dirtiest in the entire world, Nongtraw said, “The HNLC does not have any faith in this system.”He pointed out that many constituencies in the Hynñiewtrep including West Khasi Hills have decided to boycott the upcoming elections .
Nongtraw also said that the recent threat made by the Meghalaya Chief Electoral 0fficer P Naik to arrest people if they boycott the elections display his sheer ignorance that violates the rights of the masses.
Castigating the centre for the delay in the implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) system, Nongtraw claimed, “The delay by the government has in fact made the council stronger, because educated youths who have been affected by the system have joined hands with the council. He said the longer the government takes time to implement the ILP the stronger the HNLC will become.
According to the HNLC, the ensuing Lok Sabha elections are just a ploy of the government of India to create more puppets in order to represent in the parliament which suit their personal interests.
Pointing out that decision to totally boycott the upcoming elections is due to several reasons. Nongtraw said, “67 years had passed since India became independent but our status had been that of slaves. The government of India had forcefully signed the instrument of accession and Annexed agreement 1948 at gunpoint without the consent of the durbar Himas (Kingdoms) and the Syiems (Kings).
Asserting that this action of the government of India proved its political inability to solve matters related to the welfare of the Hynñiewtrep, Nongtraw said that the HNLC is against the Indian political system because the Hynniewtrep has their our right to self- determination which is defined as free choice of one’s own acts without external compulsion and, especially, the freedom of the people of a given territory to determine their own political status.
The HNLC statement further said, “It can also be defined as the ability or power to make decisions for oneself, especially the power of a nation to decide how it will be governed. The right to self-determination of peoples is a fundamental principle in international law. It is embodied in the charter of the United Nations and the international covenant on civil and political rights and the international covenant on economic, social and cultural rights.”
According to Nongtraw, the Common Article 1, paragraph 1 of these covenants provide that: “All peoples have the rights of self-determination, by virtue of that right they can freely determine their political status, and freely pursue the economic, social and cultural development”.
Stating that this right is also set forth in the universal declaration of human rights, which is widely recognized as customary international law, Nongtraw said that today the people of the Hynñiewtrep are one of the most endangered ethnic communities in the 21st century. He said, “Our distinct culture, religion, language and national identity face the real and imminent threat of total assimilation and extinction.”
On the inflow of influx, Nongtraw said this is putting the Hynñiewtrep at an economic disadvantage with the continuing migration of massive numbers of non tribal into the region which progressively erodes the ability of the people to hold on to their distinct cultural heritage and ethnic identity.
Accusing India for developing a policy of deliberately encouraging Indian immigrants to settle on a long-term basis in Hynñiewtrep, Nongtraw said that the aim of the government of India is to create infrastructure to facilitate the exploitation of the vast natural resources of Hynniewtrep and to encourage hundreds of thousands to migrate to inhabite areas of the region.
Nongtraw said, “If India really claims to be the champion of human rights then it must come up with a ‘plebiscite’ for our Hynñiewtrep region and let our people decide whether to stay with India or without the interference of India.”
Pointing out that appointment of Governor in Meghalaya should have been from local indigenous community (Garo or Khasi-Jaintia), Nongtraw said that this kind of governance is also against the interests of the people while asking how would a non-Achik or non-Hynniewtrep understand the problems faced by the indigenous tribal people.
Stating that Election time is a time when corruption is at its peak, Nongtraw said that big industrialists fund politicians to meet high cost of election and later seek personal favour. Bribery to politicians buy influences and bribery by politician buy votes, he claimed.
Nongtraw observed, “In order to get elected, politicians bribe poor illiterate people of our Hynniewtrep, who are slogging for two times meal a day. “- By Our Reporter
It is a matter to be pondered with the decision of the HNLC to impose a bandh on polling day. I dont see any justification on the part of the HNLC to impose bandh on that day.
The HNLC is expected to withdraw the bandh so that the citizens can move freely.