Staff Reporter

Shillong, April 23: The Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) has said that the Harijans are historical residents of Meghalaya and not some illegal encroachers.

Reacting to the statement of the Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong in response to their letter to the authorities regarding the proposed relocation plan of Sikh residents of Sweepers’ Colony, HPC secretary Gurjit Singh said, “It is a very casual and callous response and I am surprised that the Deputy Chief Minister of a state should resort to stating facts in an incorrect manner.”

“We are always ready for talks and as mentioned in our earlier reply and it is a position which we have stated many times to the government and to the High Court of Meghalaya. We have stated on many an occasion that the solution to this vexed problem can be only through talks in a spirit of give and take as well as in recognizing the rights of each and every citizen of the area, without pressure, duress and misrepresentation,” he added.

Singh said, “The Deputy CM is saying that “we will present details to the High Court.” I think, these details should have been presented earlier. The question that we have posed and to which the government has now reacted is “Why were details not presented earlier?”

Stating it is unbecoming of a leader of the state to misrepresent facts to the public through the media, the HPC secretary said that “the blueprint presented to us is incomplete, there is no time line, there are residents living there, the proposed homes are pigeonholes, the question of title to the area to be given to families has not been specified,” while asking “How can we play a blind game with the lives of hundreds of families -men, women and children.”

“It is another shocker that the Deputy CM, who had earlier recognized that we are not illegal settlers, is now saying, “How is it possible that they are staying there for 160 years?” May we remind the deputy Chief minister and the people of Meghalaya that we are here since 1863 and we are in possession of authentic documents under the name and seal of the Syiem of Hima Mylliem. In a letter of 2008, the Syiem of Mylliem Darbar has said, inter alia, “…the plot of land was allotted to them long time back by the predecessors of Syiem of Hima Mylliem till today.” In another 1954 document, it is categorically mentioned that the land belongs to the residents of the Harijan Colony,” Singh said.

He said also, there are many other historical references as to how our forefathers were brought here by the then British army higher-ups from Gurdaspur and Amritsar districts of Punjab.

“In fact, by virtue of the fact that we are here for more than two centuries, makes us also historical residents and by virtue of tradition and culture, we too become indigenous peoples,” said Gurjit Singh.
“By asking them for an appropriate accommodation, we are demanding our rights and not seeking a merciful largesse from the government. Let it be known to everyone, loud and clear that we are legitimate residents of the Punjabi Lane,” he further added.