SHILLONG, NOV 20: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has unanimously passed a resolution demanding the immediate re-transferring of Block I and II areas to the state of Meghalaya especially to the Khasi-Jaintia tribe.
“Now this House do unanimously resolve to urge the government of India, government of Meghalaya, the government of Assam and the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) to right this historical and legal wrong committed against the Khasi-Jaintia tribe and to return back Block I and II to the state of Meghalaya as is right under law and the Constitution of India,” KHADC chief HS Shylla said while tabling the resolution during the first day of the winter session held here on Tuesday.
He said that the historico-legal position supports the return of the area known as Block I and Block II to the state of Meghalaya and to the Khasi Hills District Council and Jaintia Hills District Council.
According to him, the injustice committed against the Khasi-Jaintia tribe has to be recetified and the KHADC recognises this injustice and the imperative need to rectify this gross illegality.
He said that the KHADC was part of the erstwhile United Khasi-Jaintia District Council, which was formed as part of the then province of Assam within the Dominion of India by the process of framing and creation of the Constitution of India and not by any Instrument of Merger.
The Council chief further alleged that in an act, that can only be described as arbitrary, oppressive and unconstitutional, the areas known as Block I & II of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills District were forcibly excluded and tagged with the then Mikir Hills Autonomous District Council by two notifications issued on April 13, 1951.
“This was totally illegal and arbitrary exercise of powers under Para 1 of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India,” he said.
Shylla said that while this was done on the report of the Commission appointed vide notification dated October 3, 1950, this action has infringed on and violated the sacred rights of the Khasi-Jaintia Tribe to tribal land, identity and the protection of the provisions of the Constitution of India as guaranteed.
“It is categorically put on record, that by this act, the provisions of the Sixth Schedule were misused to forcibly deprive us of a substantial area of our land,” the CEM added.
Stating that now that this constitutional aberration and illegality has been discovered and recognized, he said it is necessary that the government of India, Meghalaya, Assam and KAAC to rectify this historical act of oppression against the Khasi-Jaintia tribe by returning and restoring back Block I and Block II to Meghalaya and the Khasi-Jaintia tribe as per the boundaries within the notification of April 13, 1951.
Maintaining that the absolute ownership of Khasi-Jaintia tribal land is unalienable from the identity of the Khasi-Jaintia tribe, Shylla said, “Taking away of our land constitutes an infringement which violates and destroys our constitutional relationship with the Union of India.”
The use of any legal mechanism to enable violations of our rights is abhorrent, unconstitutional and demeaning, reducing our status within the federal structure of Inda, he added.
By Our Reporter
+ There are no comments
Add yours