Members of the Hynñiewtrep Integrated Territorial Organization (HITO) were denied access to the Assembly today while it was in session despite securing valid passes to sit in the public gallery.
The HITO members were intercepted by magistrates and police in Laban, still some distance from the Assembly building in Rilbong, and were told that they were to be stopped by order of the Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills, who, in turn, said that she had been ordered by the Assembly Speaker, Metbah Lyngdoh, to prevent entry of the pressure group delegation.
In a release, HITO said that its sole intention in wanting to attend the Assembly was to listen patiently to the deliberations and see if the issues raised by HITO were being raised in the house.
“All we wanted was to go and see if the issues raised have penetrated any ear of the publicity-crazed ruling dispensation or the benign opposition and then bid them farewell outside the house peacefully without letting out even a whisper,” HITO leader Donbok Dkhar said.
These issues range from a perceived failure of the government on the law and order front, Covid-19 management, vaccination and corruption.
Dkhar expressed shock and disbelief at how the law was used to deny his members access to the Assembly despite holding passes issued by the relevant authorities.
This barring was apparently due to intelligence received that led the Speaker to believe that HITO would stage a protest or otherwise disrupt the proceedings of the Assembly.
“To flimsily say intelligence said we would be staging a protest or disrupt the proceedings is simply unarguable. Even the layman can see through this façade of lies and deception that the elected representatives, especially the NPP, led by Conrad Sangma and his chamchas, as well as the Metbah Lyngdoh-led UDP and its blind disciples,” Dkhar said. Calling for the people to replace these leaders, he added, “Let us teach them the true meaning of democracy. Let’s leave corruption and crime, violence and hatred to Conrad and his followers and follow the principles and ideals of our most respected Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, while in our quest for justice.”
Meanwhile, HITO has also sought a clarification from the DC as to why its members were barred despite legally obtaining 20 passes to attend the autumn session. According to the NGO, it had learnt that the Speaker had instructed Assembly officials who then contacted the DC requesting that HITO be prevented from accessing the Assembly.
“If this is true, then does that mean that the administration has no say in permitting peaceful and silent means of protest in a democracy? And that it can only subserviently bow to the powers that be? Does it indicate that even if your office sees no illegality in citizens venting out their thoughts over current trends of governance, it will have to simply pretend to ignore the truth?” HITO asked.
