SHILLONG, SEPT 10: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) want the 60 MDCs from the Khasi and Jaintia hills autonomous district councils to resign as a mark of protest if the state government tries to infringe into the right of the district councils by bringing state laws to empower traditional bodies/heads.
HYC president Peter Lawai told reporters at a news conference on Thursday, “The sixty MDCs of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) are advised to resign if the state government attempts to infringe into the powers of the ADCs.”.
The HYC also said the state government should provide the number of ‘outsiders’ who have obtained residential certificates from the panchayat committees since the time the ordinance was made effective in the state.
Lawai appealed to all the legislators to raise this question with the state government as to how many outsiders, especially the non-genuine citizens, were issued with residential certificates by these so-called panchayat committees, who are illegally operating in the sixth schedule area since the time it decided to implement the ordinance in the state.
He was referring to the Harijan Panchayat Council, Jhalupara Panchayat Council, Telecom Welfare Association and others, against whom HYC had lodged complaints in the past for their alleged illegal act of issuing residential certificates.
“The ordinance has in fact empowered these panchayat committees by failing to clearly define who is a Rangbah Shnong or Headmen,” Lawai said adding “The ordinance encourage self-style headman by saying that a headman is a person who is recognize by the residents of a particular village.”
Therefore, Lawai felt that the MLAs, who are the voice of the people, must raise this question on the floor of the House as expect by the HYC.
Stating the government had also given recognition to these panchayat committees even before the ordinance was implemented, HYC general secretary Robertjune Kharjahrin said, “As per the RTI finding, around 2500 to 3000 non-indigenous voters were newly enrolled in East Khasi hills district from January 1 till April,” adding “They have allegedly managed the RCs from the different panchayats, which was also recognized by the district authorities.”
The HYC has also decided to go ahead with its peaceful march to the main secretariat on September 14, to protest against the government’s delay to revoke the ordinance as well as its attempt to come up with new laws for empowering the traditional institutions in the state.
“We have decided to stage a peaceful march to the main secretariat to protest against the ordinance and the fresh draft bill, which seeks to interfere with the powers and affects the subjects of the district councils,” Lawai said.
According to him, the ordinance and any other state laws on the issue related to traditional institutions and headmen are seen as an attempt to dilute and underestimate the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
In the all party meeting held yesterday, chief minister Mukul Sangma had stated that the ordinance had already lapsed.
When asked, Lawai said, “If the government is saying that the ordinance has lapsed then it should prove that by coming up with an official notification because just in five days anybody can get residential certificates, which is not acceptable to us.”
Echoing similar views, Kharjahrin, however, when the government has admitted the flaws in the ordinance, it should take a cabinet decision to revoke it immediately. But, he said, according to their information the ordinance will lapse only when it is not introduced in the upcoming assembly session.
Stating that new draft bill is some sort of a modification to the ordinance, Kharjahrin said, “We will strongly oppose the fresh bill if it attempts to infringe into the powers of the ADCs and its subjects,” adding “However, if the bill restricts itself only to developmental activities, then it will not be a problem.”
He said the HYC demand is the government revoke the ordinance and allow the VAB passed by the KHADC and JHADC to become act.
Informing that the propose march will start from the HYC’s office at Mawlai, HYC organizing secretary Nickson Dohling said that they also appealed to all stakeholders including the MDCs to support and participate in the rally.
He informed that anti-ordinance pamphlets will also be distributed on the day to make people aware of the ills of the ordinance and the reason for the demand to revoke it.- By Our Reporter
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