SHILLONG, JUN 11: A joint delegation of four pressure groups today asked the state government to ensure that the recently constituted high level committee (HLC) is really committed towards finding a permanent solution for relocation of the sweepers’ colony from Them Iew Mawlong at the earliest.
This was expressed by the leaders of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), Federation of Khasi-Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP), Hynniewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF) and Ri Bhoi Youth Federation (RBYF), who met the deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong on Monday.
Speaking to newsmen after the meeting, KSU chief Lambokstar Marngar said, “We have made our stand clear that we do not want to see that the HLC is being constituted not just to calm down the situation but it should be serious in resolving the long pending demand for relocating the sweepers’ colony.”
While there is no fixed timeframe for the committee to complete the exercise, Marngar however said that the four organizations will be keeping a close watch on the functioning of the committee.
The high level committee under the chairmanship of Tynsong was constituted following the recent five days violent protest by an angry mob which has led to the ongoing imposition of curfew in Motphran and 13 other localities.
On the other hand, FKJGP president Wellbirth Rani said that the joint delegation had also maintained that the four pressure groups would be compelled to step in and lead the protest if the HLC is just buying time in resolving this issue.
“If the government fails to shift the sweepers’ colony from Them Iew Mawlong at the earliest, we will take the issue forward,” he said.
Meanwhile, the joint delegation also asked the United Sikh visiting the state to restrain from interfering and attempting to communalise the situation.
“We have also demanded the chairman of the committee not to include any representative from the organization (United Sikh) as they have no right to be part of the committee,” Marngar said.
The KSU chief also said that Them Iew Mawlong is under the jurisdiction of the Syiem Mylliem and it cannot be called as “Punjabi line”.
Later while speaking to reporters, deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong said that the HLC will sit again after receiving detailed survey map of the land from the Directorate of Land Records and Survey.
“We have asked the Directorate to complete the task within 10 days so that we can decide on our next course of action,” he said.
Asked, Tynsong said that the question of Land Transfer Act does not arise because the land measuring around 33,000 sq ft clearly belongs to two owners – the Shillong Municipal Board and the Hima Mylliem.
On the proposal of the United Sikh, the chairman of the committee also maintained that it is not a question of representation from any organization but the committee’s job is to see that recommendation is made to the state government as soon as possible.
“A committee is a committee and I cannot just include (members) based on the wishes of some groups,” he said.
Earlier, the acting Syiem of Hima Mylliem Ricky Nelson Syiem had admitted that four land pattas which include for the construction of the Gurudwara was issued by the suspended Syiem of Hima Mylliem Latho Manik Syiem in 2009.
The other land pattas were given for construction of the Guru Nanak School, Shiv Mandir and Durga Mandir on “humanitarian ground” by the suspended Syiem, he said. The Acting Syiem however said that Hima in 2010 had issued an order for cancellation of the land pattas following stiff opposition from pressure groups.
Though a Court order passed following a petition filed by the Sikh community residing in Sweepers’ Colony had remanded the matter to the Hima, he however said the Hima is yet to conduct any hearing to hear the Sikh community till now as per the court order, which directed the need to dispose of the matter on valid grounds.
Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council had also recently questioned the decision of the Hima to grant permission for construction of the Gurudwara and setting up of business establishment on the plot of land in view that the agreement signed between the SMB and Hima Mylliem in 1954 has clearly stated that the land is meant for accommodating sweepers and not for any other purpose.
Asked, the deputy chief minister said that the matter related to whether the Gurudwara and others are located within the land will be known only when the survey map is completed.
By Our Reporter
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