Shillong, Mar 15: The Hynñiewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO) has asked the central government to consider depoliticising the autonomous district councils in Meghalaya.
While not a new demand, the request stems from concerns over the rights and interests of indigenous communities, “particularly amidst rising tensions in Garo Hills,” the pressure group said.
HITO directed its plea to Ravi Shankar Prasad MP, a former cabinet minister and member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). HITO said it appreciated Prasad’s recent statements on upholding indigenous rights and cultural heritage and sought his attention to memoranda submitted on issues like illegal immigration and the need for the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya.
Party politics contradict traditional consensus-based practices of Khasi and Jaintia communities, HITO said. Traditional leaders should then be allowed to participate in council elections without party affiliations.
