SHILLONG, NOV 20: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has resolved to urge the state government to issue necessary notification for renaming the Council as the “United Khasi Hills Autonomous Council” to maintain its historico-legal-cum constitutional entity and rights as the protector, custodian and authority.
Before passing a resolution on the matter during the first day of the Council’s winter session here on Tuesday, KHADC chief Hispreaching Son Shylla said, “Therefore, this House do now resolve that the word “United” be prefixed again before the words “Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council” to rename this district council as the “United Khasi Hills Autonomous District” and to urge the government of Meghalaya to make such necessary notification in the Gazette of Meghalaya to give effect to the same through the District Council Affairs department.”
He said it was necessary to restore the word united to the name of the KHADC to maintain the district council’s historico-legal cum constitutional entity and rights as the protector, custodian and authority over Khasi prevailing customary and traditional rights land, traditional system of administration among other inalienable rights of the Khasi indigenous tribe who are the owners of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District.
“The word “United” denotes the unification of the 25 Khasi states with the erstwhile British area of the Khasi-Jaintia District,” Shylla said.
According to him, the word united was deleted with the creation of the Jowai Autonomous District by the Governor vide notification dated November 23, 1964 and the amendment of Para 20 of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India which substituted the words “Khasi Hills District” in place of “United Khasi-Jaintia Hills District” vide the Meghalaya government notification dated June 14, 1973 published on June 23, 1973.
He said that the United Khasi-Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council alteration of names notification dated April 24, 1978 altering the name “United Khasi-Jaintia Hills District Council” to the “Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council”.
“This in fact distorts the historico-legal position as well as the constitutional status of the Khasi-Jaintia Tribe,” Shylla stated.
The KHADC chief further pointed out that the KHADC of today came into being from the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India in 1952 as part of the united Khasi-Jaintia Hills District Council.
He added that by virtue of the coming into force of Section 7 of the Indian Independence Act in 1947, the 25 Khasi States who had formed into the Federation of Khasi States became independent of British Paramountcy and at the same time all British areas also became independent.
The 25 Khasi States signed the Standstill Agreement with the Dominion of India and later the Instrument of Accession and Annexed Agreement on different dates. By virtue of clause 4 of the Annexed Agreement relating to Khasi territory in the province, the Jaintia Hills District by a resolution of the Jaintia National Conference on September 1, 1947 had resolved to join the Federation of Khasi States as a unit which was accordingly done.
Moreover, Shylla said that the Federation of 25 Khasi states, the Jaintia Hills District and the erstwhile British areas of the Khasi Hills were brought into the Dominion of India on the basis of the Instrument of Accession and Annexed Agreement.
“Later without any Instrument of Merger and only by the Constitution through the First Schedule to the same and the Sixth Schedule, the United Khasi Jaintia Hills District was created as part of the erstwhile State of Assam consisting of the 25 Khasi States and the erstwhile British area of Khasi Jaintia District,” he stated.
Participating in the discussion, former KHADC chief and PDF chairman Pynshngain N Syiem expressed concern if the move of the present EC to include the word United to the name of KHADC will only bring lots of confusion among the people.
“This is because the word Khasi means identity and KHADC is our identity,” he said.
Replying to this, Shylla however quoted a book on the Integration of Khasi States into the Indian Unionn which stated- “The Khasi Hills has been relicated to the Sixth Schedule for which JM Nichole’s Roy is very thankful but there is a constitutional anomaly. This is still there till today…”
“The Centre government has to address this anomaly because we want the position of the Khasi States should be respected,” he said.
Stating that this process is yet to be completed, the KHADC chief however said the issue that is affecting the identity of the indigenous tribe is the emergence of two district councils – Khasi and Jaintia Hills adding that this is a bigger issue.
Later, the resolution was unanimously passed by the House.
By Our Reporter
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