Shillong, Jan 12: The Khun Hynñiewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) today reminded the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) on the need to amend the Assam and Meghalaya Autonomous District (Constitution of District Council) Rules 1951, Para 128(1) and 128(3).
KHNAM Working President Thomas Passah met KHADC Executive Member in-charge Law department Deity H Majaw with the demand.
Passah told reporters that AD Rule, Chapter II, Section 128 defines the qualification for electors to the election of District Council (Qualification for Electors).
- (1) (d) states, “Provided that a person not belonging to a Scheduled Tribe specified in part XI- Meghalaya, of the Schedule to the Constitution (Schedule Tribes) order, 1950, as amended up to date” shall not be entitled to so vote unless he is a permanently resident within the territorial limits of the said autonomous”.
128(3) states, “For the purposes of this rule a person shall be deemed to be permanently resident within the territorial limits of an autonomous district if he has taken up his fixed or permanent habitation with his family or made his permanent home in that district and resided continually therein for a period of not less than twelve years on the qualifying date”.
According to Passah, the Paragraph is still open for non-Khasis to vote in the district council elections. He said that this will cause problems in the future.
“With the concern and intention of strengthening the state and protecting the district council through strong laws, we have informed the previous ECs of this since 2014 but no one has been able to do what is necessary,” the KHNAM working president said.
Passah stated that KHNAM demands to delete Para (1) (d) from the words “Provided that a person…” to the words “Autonomous District Council” and to substitute it with “Only a Khasi may vote in the election of KHADC”.
The KHNAM also urged the current EC in the KHADC to delete Para 128(3) of this Rule.
