The Meghalaya High Court has asked the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) to act in conjunction with the municipality to ease the citizens’ woes in regard to the garbage collection in Jowai town.

“In the meantime, the Jaintia District Council should act in conjunction with the Municipality to ease the citizens’ woes,” the division bench said in its order passed after hearing a PIL filed by the Synjuk Ki Waheh Shnong Jowai.

An affidavit has been filed by the Jowai Municipality pursuant to the order dated April 17, 2023.

The petitioner flagged several issues and said that all is not well in the matter of collection of garbage in the town of Jowai.

The petitioner’s affidavit in such regard should be filed within a week from date, the bench said while adding that the matter will appear 10 days hence.

The next hearing on the matter will be held on May 12.

ACHIK has organised awareness campaign on Winter Capital/Second Capital with Six A’khing Nokmas in Wangala Building Asanang.

The organization as a part of mobilisation had organised an awareness campaign with six A’khing Nokmas for the people residing in these Six A’khinglands.

Speaking on the occasion, the General Secretary Advocate Bernita R Marak gave a clarification on the Job Reservation Policy, 1972 and the emergence of Roster System which was a verdict of the High Court.

Advocate Bernita R Marak informed the participation about the history of the verdict of Roster System in Job Reservation Policy in Meghalaya.

She also clarified on the matters of cutoff date on Roster System and why Achik community needed to stand together on the issue.

The issue of Winter Capital was also brought up by the Education Secretary, Macklowrence M Sangma where he informed and clarified that the demand for the Second Capital in Tura is not a new one but has existed even before the creation of the state of Meghalaya.

He informed that Second Capital in Tura was in agreement with all the stakeholders during the creation of the state of Meghalaya.

He assured that ACHIK as an organization is working, mobilizing and working in tandem with the other organisations in Garo Hills.

He said that Winter Capital is not the issue of only one organization but it is the issue of the A•chik nation and regretted that some organization claims it as their issue.

He opined that Winter Capital or Second Capital should unite the Garos and other tribes or non tribals across the Garo Hills and hope to see the reality soon.

The realisation of the Winter Capital in Tura would depend on the Unity and the massive movements that the people Garo Hills can create, he concludes.

The Achik Conscious Holistically Integrated Krima (ACHIK) has said that fighting for the rights of the Achiks cannot be termed as “greedy”.

“The person who made the statement of terming the Achik nation and ACHIK greedy probably has not read the dictionary and the meaning of equity and justice,” public relation secretary of the ACHIK Hamrash N Marak said in a statement.

He said the subjective approach to any problem or issue would narrow the vision and the objective of any person and the organisation therefore pledges to study the Meghalaya Job Reservation Policy and the Roster System verdict of the Court.

The verdict of the roster system by the High Court was given because the HC found discrepancies in the implementation of JRP in the state.

Stating that the ACHIK demands for what is right and the rights of our community and nothing more, Marak said, “It is the duty of the government to repay for the injustice done to A•chiks for more than 50 years,” adding “It must be understood that no community can be suppressed, marginalised and deprived of their rights for years and cannot expect the community to fight back, and A•chik community is no less than any.”

He said that the ACHIK as a society has been organising and reaching out to the A•chik people in Garo Hills and the movement has just started which is getting larger every day and till the realisation of Second Capital in Tura and maintenance of equity and justice for A•chik people in case of Roster issue, the voices and echoes in the hills of Garo Hills shall not cease.

Pushing ahead its demand for a review of the Reservation Policy and also moving ahead with the implementation of the roster system, the Hynniewtrep National Youth Movement (HNYM) has demanded that Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma calls for a special session of the State Assembly.

Speaking to media persons today, HNYM President Louis Dohtdong said that they are not against the roster system but it should either be implemented prospectively from the date of the notifying the office memorandum (MO) or it is up to the wisdom of the government with regard to the cut-off year but it should not be from 1972.

Dohtdong expressed concern about the continuous pressure from the Garo Hills region to continue with the implementation of the roster system from the year 1972 and alleged that this is purely biased towards the Garo community.

“We want to make it clear that we are not against the roster system but we are against the cut-off year hence we demand from the Chief Minister to convene a Special Session to review the Reservation policy and on how to go ahead with the roster system,” said Dohtdong.

Dohtdong said that the HNYM also demands from the state government to review and freshly implement the reservation policy as per population as the Khasi-Jaintia community is more when compared to the Garo community.

While condemning the A•chik Conscious Holistic Integrated Krima (ACHIK) for demanding that the cut-off year for the implementation of the Roster System to be 1972, Dohtdong alleged that the Garo Hills-based social organisation is being greedy.

He added that the Garos communities are the ones who have benefited from the reservation policy that allocates 40 per cent for the Khasi-Jaintia category and 40 per cent for Garos.

“The HNYM is ready to come to the streets if the state government continues to implement the roster system from 1972 as this cut-off year is unfair to the Khasi-Jaintia community” he added.

The A·chik Conscious Holistic Integrated Krima (ACHIK) demanded that the cut-off date for implementation of the roster system should be retrospectively from 1972.

In a memorandum to Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, ACHIK said, “(We) would like to reiterate the organization on behalf of the A·chik people openly take a stand that there would not be any compromise on the cutoff date and the organisation maintains the year 1972 to be considered for the roster system of Meghalaya Job Reservation Policy which is a system to bring equity to the injustices met out to the people of A·chik people.”

The organization also warned that “if any injustice is done to A·chik people, the organisation would resort to democratic rallies and demonstrations under the provisions of the Indian Constitution as the mobilisation by the organisation has already started throughout the Garo Hills.”

It also threatened to approach even the Apex court if injustice is meted out to the Achik people during the decisions to be taken by the Cabinet or an All-party meeting on the issue of the roster system.

Meanwhile, the ACHIK also sought the intervention of the deputy chief minister for establishing the winter capital or second capital in Tura.

According to them, the lethargic attitude of the government in establishing the winter capital or second capital in Tura has led the A·chik people to historical marginalization, economic deprivation, social discrimination and political exclusion, etc.

Staff Reporter

Shillong, April 5: The Achik Conscious Holistically Integrated Krima (ACHIK) has informed that its vice president Greneth M Sangma had approached the Meghalaya High Court for the protection against any sort of communal imbalance in the state and protection against any discrimination and danger against the Garo tribe living within the state of Meghalaya and Shillong specifically in view of the issue related to the roster system and implementation of the reservation policy.

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Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 7: Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Ronnie V Lyngdoh has stated that the opposition bench will ensure that the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance-2 government is put on its toes and works for the interest of the people.

Lyngdoh told reporters today that the question of who will be leader of opposition is therefore irrelevant because the three political parties will play the role of a constructive opposition.

The combined strength of the opposition bench is 14 of which 5 are from Congress, 5 All India Trinamool Congress and 4 Voice of the People Party.

The Mylliem legislator however said that if one goes by convention then the post of leader of opposition should go to the Congress, being a national party.

“But then we will work it out as we are there to provide constructive opposition. If as a constructive opposition we can ensure the state benefits, I think that will serve the purpose,” he stated.

The three opposition parties had tried to form an alternative government with the United Democratic Party, Hill State People’s Democratic Party and People’s Democratic Front but failed after two HSPDP MLAs decided to support the NPP.

Later, the UDP and PDF also went to extend full support to the Conrad K Sangma-led government.

When asked, Lyngdoh said, “I think they (HSPDP, UDP, PDF) have opted for a better option ‘stability’ for the state.”

“I hope this stability will ensure development and prosperity for the people of the state which is badly required,” he added.

He further urged the new government to take all basic necessities be it health infrastructure, education sector and others into consideration and “ensure in the next five years the state moves forward in every sphere be it in infrastructure, be it in social sector, be it in any sector.”