90 village members ostracized by Dorbar

SHILLONG, DEC 16: Over 90 members of 7 families were allegedly ostracized by a village dorbar for last 10 years over a land dispute, depriving them of their rights to various government schemes including PDS and MNREGS.

The land dispute which is still pending in court since 1995 is between two parties of the same clan residing in Umdohlun, a remote village under Hima Nobosohphoh Syiemship in South West Khasi hills district.

While the 7 affected families belong to the party in whose favour the court had issued a ruling, the other party which claimed that the land in dispute belongs to them, however has the village sordar on their side.

“Seven families have been ostracized by the sordar of Umdohlun, S Thongni without any valid reason,” Khasi Students Union (KSU)-SWKH general secretary Forwardman Nongrem told reporters on Wednesday.

The affected families includes those of Rosemary Paliar, Tarling Paliar, Phriska Paliar, Tarsis Thongni, Shermelinda Paliar, Cecilia Paliar and Melkhisius Thongni.

Nongrem said, the decision of the village dorbar has affected the normal life of these families as they were barred from taking part in the meeting of the dorbar shnong.

Moreover these families are also being denied access to government schemes such PDS supply, IAY, Total Sanitation Scheme, MNREGS, certificates for birth, scholarships, bank account.

“Their names have allegedly been cut-off or sidelined from the list of beneficiaries of such schemes, the action of which is seen as a gross violation of human rights,” Nongrem said.

KSU-SWKH organizing secretary Marcony Thongni while displaying the letter of ostracized issued to the families said, “The letter which was under the sign and seal of the Sordar was issued to them on September 18, 2013. The letter just mentioned that the families have no rights to avail benefits of schemes since they are no longer in the list of dorbar shnong. Ironically, the letter did not mention the reason behind the decision against the families.”

However, a witness to this insane action by the dorbar shnong, B Nonglang, who was also present at the press conference said, the indifference attitude against the families started between 2005 and 2009.

“It all started over a land dispute which is still pending in court. Actually the dispute was between these families and the Lyngdoh, Breswel Paliar,” Nonglang said.

He alleged, Breswel is the brother in-law of the village sordar and both connived and took a decision to ostracize the families.

Earlier the Syiem of Hima Nobosohphoh had intervened into the matter and also directed the sordar to accept back and include the seven families as members of the village.

In his reply on July 2013, the sordar outrightly rejected the direction by citing, “I cannot register them back because the Lyngdoh of Paliar (clan) has directed the sordar(s) that they cannot register anybody without the permission of land owner (which is paliar clan).”

Meanwhile, the KSU – SWKH has demanded the district administration to intervene by immediately instituting an inquiry into the ostracization of the seven families.

“We demand that an inquiry should be set up to probe into the incident of ostracizing of these families and accordingly punish the persons including sordar responsible for such decision,” Nongrem said. He said even though the clash is over land dispute, but whatever maybe the case, human rights of every citizen should be protected.-By Our Reporter