Paul:Headmen qualification, fixed tenure

SHILLONG, MAR 19: Opposition on Thursday emphasized the need to bring the traditional institutions under ‘direct funding’ as well as prescribing the minimum educational qualification for Rangbah Shnongs.

Quoting former prime minister (L) Rajiv Gandhi who had remarked, Meghalaya enjoys a peculiar system which is the ‘Dorbar Shnong’, UDP legislator Paul Lyngdoh said, “It would be logical to take this remark of PM forward to ensure the office of Dorbar Shnongs are covered under direct funding of the centre.”

Lyngdoh was participating in the debate on  the motion “Need of appropriate steps by the state government to define the role and responsibility of Dorbar Shnong” moved by his colleague Jemino Mawthoh.

According to Lyngdoh, this is important apart of issues related to the complaints against dorbar shnong that they tend to be corrupt and promote nepotism. He,  however,  was of the opinion that person holding office of the Rangbah Shnong would be tempted to such malpractice as they are not salaried.

Referring to recent move of the state government to come up with legislation for institutionalized the traditional institutions, Lyngdoh  said, “The first and foremost thing is that these dorbar shnong should come under scheme of direct funding like the panchayat system.”

Lyngdoh said institutionalizing the traditional institution at this stage will also ensure an end to nepotism practices in varying degrees of the system.“I suggest that a fixed tenure should be put in place for a Rangbah Shnong to hold the office which is preferably 5 years,” he said.

Lyngdoh further recommended that there is need to insist on the minimum educational qualification of the Rangbah Shnong which is not below matriculation to ensure that he handles the office with maturity.

“Signing important documents and engagement with funding will become difficult if a Rangbah Shnong is illiterate,” Lyngdoh asserted.

Pointing that the Dorbar Shnongs are as old as ancient Khasi hills, Lyngdoh said, “The High Court order has also become a turning point in history of dorbar shnong as it marks the shift for traditional mode of dorbar shnong to a modern entity.”

Earlier moving the motion, UDP legislator Jemino Mawthoh urged the state government to also take on board the district council in its exercise to come up with legislation to ‘institutionalize’ the traditional institutions.According to him, the state government needs to thread with extreme caution while coming up with such legislation.

“Engagement with district council is important,” Mawthoh said adding the village administration bill of the KHADC sent to the state government also needs to be facilitated.

Mawthoh, however, said on the part of the District Council, its MDCs have to burnt their midnight oil to define the role of the traditional heads as per provision of the Sixth Schedule.

At same time, Mawthoh also stressed the need for the traditional institutions to display impressive flexibility by being more democratic and inclusive in nature. Stating that tradition is dynamic and not static, he said,” We need to change with time, not discarding the old but to polish the old to suit with the changing time.”

Stating that traditional institutions are the engine of growth, Mawthoh said, they need to be preserved, reinforce and strengthened while pointing out the contribution and role they played in development of the society.

In his reply, Meghalaya District Council Affairs (DCA) minister HDR Lyngdoh said a committee was recently constituted by the state government to come up with recommendation on the issue. The committee headed by the state  government adviser  DD Lapang will soon be notified, he informed.

The minister  also maintained that the state government will not interfere into the Acts legislated by the district council.- By Our Reporter