HYC asks MDCs to quit in protest

March against Ordince on Sept 14

A CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG, Sept 10: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) today asked all the 60 MDCs from the two autonomous district councils of Khasi and Jaintia hills to quit if the state government intends to up come up with a law to empower the traditiol heads.

“If the state government intends to empower the headmen then the constitution of the district council would be irrelevant,” HYC president Peter Lawai said.

Lawai also sought to know from the state government the number of certificates issued by “village councils” and “panchayat committees” since the Ordince was passed.

The HYC president said that such organisation exists in Jhalupara, Paltan Bazar, Harijan Colony and Rynjah.

According to HYC general secretary, Robertjune Kharjahrin, in the Ordince such organizations have been given recognition.

The HYC said that even before the notification of the Ordince these groups have been illegally issuing various kinds of certificates to non-indigenous people.

 “Now with the Ordince they may have become bolder,” Lawai told reporters. The HYC president also alleged that in a recent RTI filed by them in the office of the East Khasi Hills, Deputy Commissioner, close to 3000 non-indigenous people was enrolled in the electoral rolls and some were certified by these “village councils” and “panchayat committees” from January 1 to March 31st this year.

Lawai wondered how did the office of the Deputy Commissioner accepted the certificates when there were not recognized then. The Ordince was notified on May 29. Meanwhile, the HYC general secretary, Kharjahrin said that if the government was really sincere it should have passed a notification to show that the Ordince was scrapped.

 “The Ordince affects the Appointment of Chiefs and Headmen Act, 1959 which is an Act of the District Council. If the government thinks that the Ordince was not fool proof then why did the cabinet not revoke it? Kharjahrin asked.

Meanwhile, the HYC would go ahead with its “peace march” on September 14, in protest against the Ordince or any other laws formulated by the government in respect of the traditiol institutions.