Court to decide on relocation from Sweepers’ Colony

Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Urban Affairs Sniawbhalang Dhar has informed that the state government has filed an affidavit before the Meghalaya High Court with regards to the proposal for relocating the 342 families of Sweepers’ Colony from Them Iew Mawlong.
Dhar told reporters today that now the matter is left to the court to decide.

The minister said that the government will also sit in a few days and take a call on the matter.

According to him, this was after the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) had rejected the government’s proposal to relocate the Sweepers’ Colony from Them Iew Mawlong to the existing land of the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB).

Dhar however said that the government will always welcome the HPC if they want to discuss the matter.

On April 24, the Meghalaya High Court had deferred the hearing on the issue to June 7.

The order was passed by the division bench based on the request made by the state government and the HPC during the hearing held here.
The government had come up with a blueprint after rejecting the April 25,2022-proposal of the HPC that 200 square meters of land be provided to each of the 342 families within the European ward besides bearing the cost of construction of their homes.

In its recent 6-page reply sent to the Deputy Secretary of the Government of Meghalaya and other concerned departments, the HPC had alleged that the government’s proposal was “incomplete, unsuitable, unprepared, unfair and undemocratic.”

The HPC had also stated in its reply that “There are serious lacunae, sweeping and undesirable conclusions in the approach and attitude of the High-Level Committee of the Meghalaya government.”

“We are absolutely devastated that since the formation of the new government, ministers, MLAs and certain groups have been making unnecessary remarks saying that the whole issue would be resolved within the month of April. What magical trick do they have up their sleeve to resolve the issue within days? The matter is sub-judice and they are only paying lip service to respect for the judiciary. We will not buckle under political duress,” it had also added.

HNLC sets conditions for peace talks

The proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) has put forth its conditions for the peace talks.

Informing this, representative of the HNLC and president of the Hynniewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF) Sadon K Blah said, “We cannot say that the talks have to be unconditional as there are conditions that we have put forward.”

“Talks cannot be hundred per cent unconditional because if it is unconditional we don’t need to talk. There are agendas like political issues and other issues concerning the stand of the HNLC which has been there for the last 35-37 years,” he added.

He said that the issue related to the Instrument of Accession (IOA) and Annexed Agreement (AA) is part of the negotiation.

Stating that the formal talks are yet to take off, Blah said, “Unofficial talks are on but formal talks on agendas are yet to take place. There are issues related to technicalities during the process and we are trying to resolve them.”

The representative of the outfit said that he cannot spell out the agendas of the HNLC as the same will be put forth only when the formal talks have started.

Blah asserted that amnesty is a must to take the peace process forward.

“Whatever criminal cases relating to these rebel groups in India and other parts of the world and in the North East also, waiving of criminal cases is an integral part within the amnesty,” he said while informing that they are yet to discuss amnesty at any level but once the formal talk is held then “we can deal with these criminal cases because the amnesty is a must”.

He further added, “Generally, if we look at the modalities of conducting this peace process in other parts of the North East, we find that amnesty must be there and some kind of ceasefire arrangement, then rehabilitation arrangement have to be there – these are the technicalities we are dealing with right now.”

Also stating that there have been no hurdles in the way of the peace process, the HNLC representative said both the Centre and State governments are committed to starting the peace talks at the earliest.

“The government has already endorsed a safe passage for the leaders of the outfit who are part-taking in their entire process of peace,” he said.

“The former HNLC leader (L) Cheristerfield Thangkhiew has neither participated in the peace process at that point of time and secondly he was not a surrenderee, he was a retiree of the organization so it was not befitting for him also to claim for the rehabilitation as he has never surrendered and at that point of the time peace process was not in the process but it is befitting what he has done,” Blah said.

He however said that the HNLC is yet to discuss with regards to the rehabilitation package.

On the other hand, Blah said the peace talks are not an issue which decisions can be taken in haste.

“The struggle of the outfit has been there for almost 40 years and taking a hasty decision may lead to unnecessary situations,” he said while refusing to comment on the present strength of the outfit.