The Hynñiewtrep Youths Council (HYC) has petitioned Governor Satya Pal Malik to impress upon the Government of India to give the Khasi indigenous faith a minority community status.
Leaders of the HYC met the Governor today with the petition at the Raj Bhavan.
According to HYC, the Government of India till date has notified six religious communities, that is, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis, Christians and Jains as religious minorities in India under Section 2(c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.
HYC general secretary, Roy Kupar Synrem stated that they have informed the Governor that there are nearly three lakh people from the Khasi-Jaiñtia communities residing in Meghalaya, Assam and other parts of the country, who are still practicing and professing the indigenous faith or “Niam Tynrai- Niam tre”.
“As per our knowledge and information the people who still belonged to the indigenous faith are about 3 lakhs all over India and also are economically and socially backward which requires more assistance and protection from the Government of India and respective State governments,” Synrem said.
Pointing out that the Seng Khasi have established various schools and projects meant for the welfare of the indigenous people of the State, Synrem said that it is a fit case for them to be recognised for them to grow and dedicate more to social welfare activities.
The HYC felt that in order to raise their level of education and participation in employment, skill and entrepreneurship development and reducing deficiencies in civic amenities and infrastructure and also to allow them to enjoy the rights and privileges under the Constitution of India the government should consider them as one of the minority community in India as per the Act of 1992.
During their meeting with the Governor, the HYC also apprised him about the plight of the farmers seen during the recent incessant rains in the state.
The HYC urged the Governor to intervene and to advise the State government to provide immediate and meaningful relief to all the farmers of the State who are affected due to natural calamities.
They also urged him to direct the government for the implementation of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Agricultural Produce and Agro-forest produce and the Meghalaya State Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020.
According to the HYC, the State government has not implemented the act till day ever since it was notified on June 1, 2020 with an objective to provide, inter-alia, for geographically restriction-free trade transaction of agricultural produce including livestock across the state and the country; to give freedom to agriculturists to sell their produce across time and space; to enhance transparency in trade operations and price settlement.
