Institutiolization of traditiol bodies

Nokmas, local traditiol heads interact with Mukul

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG, April 24: The Nokmas and local traditiol heads of Garo Hills had a threadbare interaction with the Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma in connection with the move to institutiolize and empower the traditiol bodies. The meeting was held at the SMELC Building, Dakopre on Friday.

Presiding over the deliberations, Dr Sangma said that this was a crucial and important step to have a productive engagement with the local heads representing various traditiol institutions as to how to move ahead with complete clarity in partnership with them in all developmental initiatives.

“There is a need to take advantage of the traditiol system that we already have, which has withstood the test of time and is still contributing to the growth and benefit of the State as mandated by the customary laws and practices”, he said.

“But what has now been happening is that there has not been a clear cut measure to have a complete clarity vis-à-vis various legal conflicts which we are often confronted by,” he added.

Therefore, he said, that the most important part was to ensure that an appropriate mechanism should be set up to frame laws to empower and institutiolize the traditiol bodies so as to generate proactive partnership from them in sharing the responsibilities of both governce and delivery of developmental programmes for the best interest of the people.

Dr Sangma also said that in view of the certain confusion arising out of High Court ruling, there was need for legal framework to effectively empower the traditiol institutions to exercise administrative and judicial powers in resolving petty disputes in the villages.

After the deliberations, the Chief Minister found that there was complete unimity on the need to institutiolize the traditiol bodies and said that there would have to be a number of sittings taking into consideration the views of all the stakeholders to come up with a complete mechanism for the same.

Giving his views during the deliberations, Deputy Chief Minister Rowell Lyngdoh also felt that in absence of proper laws, the traditiol bodies and customary practices were seen clashing with the law of the land.

The interaction programme organized by the West Garo Hills District Administration was also participated by, Minister for Social Welfare Deborah Marak, State Chief Secretary P B O Warjri, Additiol Chief Secretary, K S Kropha, Chief Executive Member, Chairman and other members of the GHADC, members of the Council of Nokmas, officials of Law and District Council Affairs department, besides the MLAs, Nokmas, local traditiol heads and members of the civil society organizations.

Earlier, the same exercise was also held in Shillong for the traditiol heads and bodies of Khasi and Jaintia Hills which culmited in constitution of a committee headed by DD Lapang, Chief Adviser to the Government of Meghalaya.