Meghalaya needs to be included under Article 371 of the Constitutions in order to protect its tribal population, the Khasi Students Union (KSU) said today.
The pressure group organised a panel discussion today on the 34th anniversary of the death of Wickliffe Syiem, the Deputy Syiem of Nongstoiñ who famously refused to accept his erstwhile Khasi state becoming part of India and instead fled to East Pakistan, now Bangladesh.
Article 371(A) states that no act of Parliament shall apply to Nagaland in respect of the religious or social practices of the Nagas, its customary law and procedure, administration of civil and criminal justice involving decisions according to Naga customary law and ownership and transfer of land and its resources. Article 371(G) has similar provisions for Mizoram.
The panellists at today’s event included author Spiton Kharakor, former KHADC chief Pynshngainlang Syiem, Jaiaw MDC Paul Lyngdoh, Federation of Khasi State spokesperson John F Kharshiing.
KSU leader Lambokstar Marngar read out a seven-point resolution adopted at the panel discussion, which called on the central government to honour the Instrument of Accession signed with the 25 erstwhile Khasi states in 1948 and include Meghalaya in Article 371.
He also said that the Khasi language should be immediately included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, implement the Inner Line Permit in the state and introduce a national anthem for the Khasi-Jaintia people who have, in Marngar’s words, been excluded from Jana Gana Mana.
Meanwhile, Wickliffe Syiem’s son, Andrew Shalomar, and his brother also attended the programme and spoke about how the Khasis in Bangladesh are struggling for their survival.
“If we abandon our roots of being Khasis and become Muslims we can survive out there 50 years from now but, if not, it will be difficult to survive,” Shalomar said. “Therefore, I urge our people here to think about us if we don’t get space to live there anymore,” he added, referring to the possible need for large scale migration to Meghalaya from Bangladesh.
