Three Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) MACs receive notice of Court hearing

A Correspondent

HAMREN: As per directive of the High Court, three MACs of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) will face court hearing on August 9 at Diphu Judicial Court. The three MACs of KAAC are Pawan Kumar of Kopli constituency, Madhurya Dekheil Phukan of Bokajan and Mukut Mohanta of Deopani counstituency. A PIL was filed in Gauhati High Court by Dhon Dera against MAC Pawan Kumar while petitions were filed in Diphu Judicial Court by Pranjan Kro against Madhurya Dekheil Phukan and by Chandra Teron against Mukut Mahanta. The petitioners alleged that as per the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India, no non-Scheduled Tribe person could contest in the Sixth Schedule council election.

Since inception of Karbi Anglong district in 1952, the tribal people were not aware about this provision granted in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India. The non-ST people had seized the opportunity to conspire against the tribal people and enjoy equal rights. As a result, the tribal people were now minorities in their own land, claimed the petitioners.

After some conscious people and leaders of some social organizations raise the issue recently and demanded to rectify the council election rules and act of KAAC as per the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India, more than 24 organizations filed PIL No.9/2017 in Gauhati High Court. The court directed and ordered the KAAC to make its rules and act within six months.

The KAAC has already constituted a drafting committee as per court order to make the election rules and appointed MLA Dr Mansing Rongpi as chairman of the 15-member drafting committee. But the 24 organizations were unhappy with the drafting committee constituted by KAAC for inclusion of non-tribal members.

Based on the PIL filed against the three non-tribal MACs, they will have to appear for court hearing on August 9. Replying to questions of media persons, the three MACs said that the case would be decided by the court and no person could go above the law. “Law will take its own course of action. We have the received the court notice for hearing on August 9. After attending the hearing we will know the entire matter. We have been elected in the last council election under the leadership of KAAC CEM Tuliram Ronghang,” said Mukut Mahanta, MAC of Deopani constituency.

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