Syiem to stage hunger strike on budget day

SHILLONG, MAR 2: Irked by the state government inordinate delay in framing the rules to the Meghalaya Compulsory Registration of Marriage Act that was passed in 2012 and getting the cabinet approval, the Maitshaphrang convener Michael Syiem announced an indefinite hunger strike that will coincide with the Meghalaya assembly budget session on March 9.

Announcing the indefinite hunger strike on Monday, Syiem- who has been crusading for implementation of the act-  said, “The indefinite hunger strike will be launched on the same day the budget session of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly will begins.”

Syiem informed that he will stage the hunger strike alone but will ask others to support him.

Syiem informed that the state government had assured earlier that the draft rules of the Act had been submitted to the cabinet for its approval and assured that of a positive outcome. He said the assurance was given to him after the two months deadline expired on October last year. After the government assurance, he added, the proposed agitation was withdrawn.

Now , Syiem accused the government of having reneged on its promise even after four months though cabinet had its sitting more than five times during this period.  He also wondered as to why the government failed to treat this as an important issue.

Syiem  also informed that East Khasi hills deputy commissioner Sanjay Goyal seems to get a hangs of the absence of marriage registration in the state as he had made observation  during his speech on the Child Rights Day that the most common problem in Meghalaya is single parenting and broken homes.

But what surprises Syiem is the fact that people, especially public representatives, are not willing and not comfortable discussing this problem. He said, “A person who is not from the state has been able to see this problem but our own public representatives are not willing to address this important issue.”

Syiem is of the opinion that that the reason why public representatives are avoiding to talk about this issue is because the divorced women and single parent are being treated as a vote bank by the politicians as they are depend on them for their children school fees, uniforms, medicines and other expenses.

Syiem felt that if this issue is taken up by public representatives then their vote ban will erode as it will make the single parents less dependent on them for financial help.

Syiem also warned that if a proper venue for hunger strike is not available then he will launch it on the street until the state government decides to bring the draft rules in the cabinet for its approval and implementation as the law. – By Our Reporter