SHILLONG, MAR 22: The Hill State People Democratic Party (HSPDP) today demanded from the state government to identify all community lands in view that over 76 per cent of the tribal population is “landless” in the state.
Moving a cut motion in the Assembly here, HSPDP chief Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit said, “It has always been claimed that the land tenure system in Meghalaya is peculiar where land belongs to the people, not the government. To me, it is peculiar because it is an irony that only 24 per cent of the households (1,16,723 households of 4, 85,913 households) own land, whereas 76 per cent (3, 69,190) own no land.”
According to the Socio- Economic and Caste Census (SECC), 2011 for rural India, released in New Delhi on July 3, 2015, he said, the state with the least number of households with land is Mizoram, and followed by Meghalaya.
Stating that the issue warrants immediate attention and intervention, he said, “The government should first identify all the community lands and get to know exactly the present status.”
He further stated that the government should find out how many of these community lands have been surreptitiously exploited by those who are supposed to the custodian and guardian of community lands.
“The government must also fix responsibility to those who are involved in the complete sell out of community land,” he said.
According to him, those who own land are mainly the haves and influential people, large sections of the people, mainly the have-nots also considered as voiceless, continued to remain neglected.
Stating that the price of land is skyrocketing making it impossible for the low income group people to afford buying a small plot of land, he said due to the present regulation-less situation, the haves continue to benefit more and more.
“There is no land ceiling whereby a maximum size of land holding can be fixed for an individual or a family. Therefore, putting a law in place, I feel is the need of the hour, if we are to empower our people, and honour their rights, by sharing them with equal opportunities and benefits,” he added.
He also reminded that the original concept of the land holding system in our community is that no member of the Khasi community is supposed to live without land.
Land is being classified into two main parts viz, Ka Ri Kynti (Private owned land) and Ka Ri Raid (Community owned land). A person is entitled to be allotted with community land for household purpose and enjoy benefits from the resources available.
Pointing out that the situation has drastically changed, Basaiawmoit further lambasted the KHADC and the JHADC for miserably failing to protect the rights of the people in the land allotment despite the power vested on them by Sixth Schedule.
“They have also failed to reign in the traditional chiefs and instead it was found out that they are working in tandem with local chiefs to exploit the people,” he alleged.
Also stating that the Khasi chiefs are not territorial rulers and that they have power on the subjects only, he said therefore, the question for them to own and possess land or have control over land does not arise as the land belongs to the people.
“Today we find that these chiefs have nothing to do with the subjects but rather busy in exploiting the resources of hima, elaka, territories be it land, natural resources, mineral resources etc,” he added.
In his reply, deputy chief minister in-charge Revenue Roytre C Laloo said that the matter being “sensitive”, discussions with organizations like the district council was needed.
“We have to tread carefully while dealing with this issue which also involves traditional chiefs,” he said.
Not satisfied with the response, Basaiawmoit said that the state government should show its seriousness by coming up with steps to ensure security to the landless people rather giving an excuse that the issue is sensitive.
Denying that he is finding excuse on the issue, the deputy chief minister assured that the matter is being noted and the government will find out ways and means on how to go about it.
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