Members of the autonomous district councils should give great importance to the betterment, growth and livelihood of the indigenous peoples of the state, Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee secretary Manuel Badwar has told Highland Post.
While the councils seek to preserve the traditions and other social markers of the tribal population, ensuring that the indigenes thrive economically should also be a priority, he opined.
“Livelihood is also very critical. How many of the agriculture and forest products that our farmers produce here are sold meekly or at a very low price and exploited to a large extent?” he asked “Simple things like the green moss are highly demanded in the brewery industry but none of the farmers or people who forage for it from the forest know the true value of these products and sell them at extremely low price while the price of these in the breweries like Delhi, Mumbai, etc are very high.”
Stating that the district councils have to find ways and means to ensure that the tribes are not only protected but directed in how to move forward and earn more in their livelihood, he said that another economic example lies in the cane furniture business where the cane leaves Meghalaya, is turned into value-added furniture in Barak Valley or Siliguri and then makes its way back to Meghalaya.
“So if the members of the councils are the guardians of the Jaitbynriew and are there to protect the land and forests, then all these also boil down to that,” Badwar said.
Meghalaya’s per capita income levels are some of the lowest in the country and must be raised, he added while noting that education attainment is also relatively poor in the state.
He has seen some positives in the KHADC, such as the move to promote the registration of land, though he wants the process to be free to the public.
However, on the issue of the trading licence issued to non-tribals, Badwar felt that, for one thing, the licence is seen as a money-maker for the KHADC and not as a tool to protect the tribals. On the other hand, as elections approach, KHADC members and hopefuls talk up the need to get tough with the trading licence just to drum up support and grab votes.
