Rupa Marak hailed for raising upgrade of Dadenggre

Staff Reporter

Tura, March 3: In a show of solidarity and determination, the GSU Zonal Dadenggre, led by Tengsan M Marak, President of GSU WZ North Dadenggre, has extended its heartfelt gratitude to MLA of Dadenggre, Rupa Marak, for advocating the elevation of Dadenggre sub-division to a full-fledged district during the recent budget session. This pivotal moment has emboldened the community’s longstanding demands, igniting hope for swift action.

“This will be our foremost demand in 2024 regarding district status,” asserts Tengsan M Marak. “Under the GSU Western Zone North, Dadenggre, we reiterate our call for the creation of Dadenggre Civil Sub-Division into a fully-fledged district.”

Despite being the oldest civil sub-division in Garo Hills, Dadenggre has lagged behind Resubelpara and Ampati, both of which have achieved district status. All three sub-divisions were established in 1982, yet Dadenggre remains overlooked despite its larger population and jurisdictional area.

“Our demand for district status has persisted for 25 years,” emphasizes Tengsan M Marak.

Advocates of the upgrade highlight its potential to generate employment opportunities and enhance accessibility to administration for residents in remote villages. As bona fide citizens, they implore the government to address this matter promptly.

Moreover, the community pledges to engage with local MLAs from the six constituencies under Dadenggre Civil Sub-Division—Phulbari, Rajabala, Selsella, Tikrikilla, Raksamgre, and Dadenggre—to unite efforts towards fulfilling this demand and advancing the welfare of all constituents.

In a united front, the people of Dadenggre aspire for recognition and development, rallying behind their call for district status to bring about transformative change and inclusivity.

‘Amendments needed to ensure equitable distribution of property’

Four organizations – HNYF, KSU, FKJGP and Maitshaphrang have urged the citizens to extend their full support the need to introduce some amendments to the Meghalaya Succession to Self Acquired Property (Khasi and Jaintia Special Provision) Act, 1986 to ensure equitable distribution of property.

“With this vision in mind we appeal to the Hynniewtrep people for their views and opinion, their cooperation and support in bringing about a legislation that is progressive and an asset to all the children of the family and their generations and with the talents and the resources available in our State, let us make our Meghalaya an economic powerhouse, the pride of India,” Convener of the Maitshaphrang Michael Syiem said in a statement issued today.

The matter was also discussed during a meeting organized by the four organizations with representatives of the seng Kur (Clan) on April 15.

Syiem said the whole world revolves around the economy and the stronger the economy the stronger the country, citing examples like the USA, Germany, China, and quite a few more. Even Israel which is not much bigger in size than Meghalaya and where 65% of its territory is desert, has a very strong economy and attempts by its far bigger neighbouring countries to ‘bring it to heel’ time and again had been countered successfully by Israel. Israel is now a major player not only in the Middle East.

He said if Meghalaya is to become a strong and a progressive State and able to protect its’ borders besides taking up other development activities, it has to develop its economy and the involvement and contribution of its indigenous population to strengthen this economic development is vital.

In the present situation where government jobs have reached a near saturation point, the only viable alternative is for the young people of the state to go into economic activity in a big way and for those who have the capital, it will have a multiplier effect creating more employment opportunities.

For this to happen, economic empowerment of all the children in the family of the Hynniewtrep community is a must to allow them to give collateral for availing of loans from the financial institution.

“Therefore, the need to amend the above 1986 Act to include the word ‘Equitable’ meaning ‘Fair and Just’ (not ‘Equal’ as some people mistakenly interpreted), and the word ‘Ancestral’ in the principal Act which will then read as, the Meghalaya Equitable Succession to Ancestral and Self Acquired Property (Khasi and Jaintia Special Provision) Act. Proposal to include the word ‘Gift’ was also made,” Syiem said.

“The word ‘Equitable’ gives the parents the flexibility to ‘Will’ out their property to their children, sons and daughters, to whom and how much, according to their wisdom. If in certain cases, the parents in their wisdom feel that the youngest daughter deserves the bulk or the entire share, this Law will allow them to do so by Will. In a family where there are no daughters only sons, the Will which gives the sons the right to the family property will prevent the Kur (Clan) from snatching away the property from them when their parents expire, which is usually the case because of the absence of this law,” he added.

The Maitshaphrang leader further recalled that in the year 1982 a group of ex KSU members, discussed the need for a law to give all children of the family a share of the family property.

“Accordingly together with some concerned friends and members of the Tribal United Front led by (L) Wifel Slong we drafted a Bill which was to be presented to the KHADC. This Bill was however taken up and passed by the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly and received the assent of the Governor on May 23, 1986 as The Meghalaya Succession to Self Acquired Property (Khasi and Jaintia Special Provision) Act, 1986 and published in the Gazette of Meghalaya, Extraordinary, dated June 3, 1986,” he said.

“However in this principal Act of 1986 it mentions only the Self Acquired Property of the parents that can be Willed out to their children, sons and daughters. But this Self Acquired property of the parents, in the next generation becomes Ancestral property to the children and it reverts back to the youngest daughter as per our present system of inheritance,” Syiem said while adding that “So therefore, we are demanding that only this part of the Ancestral property that is inherited from their parents and grandparents be allowed to be Willed out to anyone of their children and successive generations and not the Ancestral property that belongs to the Kur (Clan).”

Syiem said after more than 30 years of campaigning we are glad that more and more families are equitably distributing their properties to all their children, sons and daughters. But it must be emphasized here that there must be a law in place to strengthen and legalise this distribution of inheritance by way of a Will or by a Gift.

“We are facing challenging times from challenging forces and unless we economically empower all our children, sons and daughters whenever possible, our matrilineal society will not be able to withstand the onslaught facing us today and the years to come. The problem of influx which is mainly driven by availability of economic opportunities, will be checked to a great extent when more and more indigenous people of the state enter into economic activity, encouraged by this new legislation,” he added.

HYC warns govt of MBoSE like situation

The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) today warned the state government of an MBoSE-like situation if it fails to address the issue concerning the implementation of the roster system.

“We want to remind the state government that if it fails to address this issue, I am afraid the MBoSE-like situation might happen in the state of Meghalaya. Therefore, we request the government to immediately solve this problem either through the Cabinet or State Assembly or an All-party meeting, we don’t care but what we care is that this issue should be solved once and for all,” HYC president Robertjune Kharjahrin told reporters after submitting a memorandum to the Chief Secretary DP Wahlang here for demanding that the roster should be implemented prospectively from 2022 onwards.

“The Chief Secretary has informed us that they will place this matter before the Cabinet and we hope that the cabinet will consider our point of view because we have seen that in social media and even in the streets there is a huge misunderstanding now between the Khasi Jaintia and Garo community,” he said while adding “We don’t want to see that will remain we want to see that the government should step in now and solve this problem because the very purpose of having a government is to solve the problems not to leave problems like this without solving them.”

“Now, if you see the statement, the minister will blame the Court and the Court says it is up to the government to fix the cut-off date I mean the public will feel remediless. Let us hope the government will step in and solve this problem and the moment this problem is solved I think this issue will disappear and our youth both from Khasi-Jaintia and Garo community will start applying for all the jobs,” he asserted.

The memorandum will also be submitted to all ministers and leaders of all political parties for their necessary intervention in the matter.

Kharjahrin informed that in the memorandum, the HYC has demanded that the cut-off date for implementation of the roster system should be prospectively from 2022 since the Meghalaya High Court had clearly stated these are policy matters best left to the executive and the legislature.

“This is also because the Supreme Court in so many of the cases had clearly stated that roster should be implemented prospectively not retrospectively. Therefore, we would like to see if the government decide either through a state legislative Assembly or an All-party meeting or even through the Cabinet because office memorandum (OM) can be changed at the Cabinet level itself,” he added.

He also informed that the Council also demanded that when it comes to a backlog, there should not be any deviation from the policy.

“We have seen some departments now are starting to talk about filling up the backlog posts. What is necessary to understand is that as per the Meghalaya Job Reservation Policy, if there is any category that cannot fill up any posts, that category can be filled up by another category and in the next recruitment year there should be some adjustment but if in that recruitment year, that particular category could not fill up that post lapsed, the policy says it so. So when it lapsed how can you now start talking about backlog? Of course, if there are one or three posts which do not lapse yet then you deserve to fill up but when the post already lapses. 1972-1973 posts till 2022 let us be franked they already lapse as so many recruitment years have come one after another. When it comes to backlog we would like to see there should not be any deviation from the policy and there should not be any contradictory to the policy. When the posts lapse it lapses you cannot talk about backlogs.”

“Thirdly, we have seen in the past two-three weeks that there is a recruitment agency both in East Khasi Hills and West Khasi Hills where they start giving roster separate for Khasi and Jaintia and Garo categories but if we go as per the policy it says that in district level category there will be 80 per cent for Khasi-Jaintia Hills and 80 per cent for Garo Hills that is what we are following for the past 50 years. When we have a combined Khasi, Jaintia and Garo category at the district level, where is the question now of giving a particular post for Khasi and Jaintia and a particular post for Garo. So this is illegal because the policy does not allow doing so,” Kharjahrin further added.