SHILLONG, JUNE 22: Tribal chiefs of Meghalaya on Monday sought the intervention of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MTA) into the proposed amendment of Article 388, which is lying pending for past 17 years.
A delegation of the Grand Council of Chiefs of Meghalaya (GCCM) led by its chairman John F Kharshiing on Monday met SS Modi, the OSD to Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, in New Delhi.
The meeting was also part of a follow up to the demands made by tribal groups from the National Tribal Council of India (NTCI) to discuss on the issue of amending article 388 and 388 A, to ensure that issues of tribal reported by NCST are placed before the parliament within one year.
“The Ministry official has informed that the Union Minister is discussing this very important issue with ministry so as to ensure that the reports from NCST and NCSC are laid before Parliament well in time within a specific period,” Kharshiing informed after the meeting.
He also said, “In fact a similar proposal for amending Article was earlier made by the then combined NCSC & ST in 1997-1998.”
According to him, a number of reports as per Article 338, of Constitution of India are yet to be placed before parliament, denying the weak voiceless SC & ST people an opportunity to be heard through the respective commissions in parliament.
Kharshiing further informed that a copy of a similar memorandum was also submitted to Kirren Rijiju, union minister of state for home earlier.- By Our Reporter
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