Meghalaya Khasi Students' Union demand introduction of Article 371, implementation of ILP

The Khasi Students' Union has reiterated its demand for the implementation of the Inner Line Permit as well as the Constitutional provision of Article 371 and similar Constitutional mechanisms in Meghalaya.
 
“Rather than calling it a Constitutional provision, we would like it as a Constitutional safeguard mechanism for the protection of the indigenous Khasi community as we are a minuscule tribal community. So we are demanding that whatever the government of India can provide, it then should provide for the safety of the community and we won’t be overwhelmed by outsiders,” said Donald V Thabah, General Secretary of Khasi Students’ Union on October 22.

“It has been a long pending demand. We have been demanding the Inner Line Permit (ILP), Constitutional mechanisms like the Article 371 (G) which are in force in Nagaland and Mizoram respectively,” added Donald.

KSU president Lambokstar Marngar was reading out the seven-point resolutions adopted after a panel discussion on the Standstill Agreement, Instrument of Accession, Annexed Agreement, and Sixth Schedule and how best to insulate the culture and tradition from the overriding central rules and policies – organized to mark the 34th death anniversary of (L) Wickliffe Syiem, who was a Deputy King (Syiem Khynnah) of Hima Nongstoin and also known as the founder of "Hynniewtrep nationalism".

Donald, speaking on behalf of KSU, demanded that the Centre honour the instrument of Accession (IOA) signed with the 25 “Khasi states” on August 17, 1948, and immediately include the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India.

“As the government of India did not honour the Instrument of Accession or the Standstill Agreement, yet we do not seek complete Independence from India, but we demand the government of India provide us a mechanism to safeguard our customs, the rights on our land, overwhelmed by the immigrants. Hence we demand the introduction of Articles 371 (A) & (G). By introducing the Constitutional mechanisms, it will truly help the Khasi and Jaintia communities,” concluded KSU General Secretary Donald Thabah.

During the panel discussion on the occasion of the 34th death anniversary of (L) Wickliffe Syiem, the Khasi Student Union also spoke about how the Khasis in Bangladesh are struggling for their survival.

It needs mention here that Late Wickliffe Syiem was a Syiem khynnah (Deputy King) of Hima Nongstoin. He was born in Nongstoin on August 15, 1909.
Wickliffe Syiem struggled hard to obtain the autonomy status of Nongstoin during his lifetime. On January 13, 1948, Wickliffe Syiem declared Nongstoin as a Khasi Sovereign State. As a deputy king with a vision for the welfare of the jaidbynriew Hynniewtrep he fought hard for Hynniewtrep to remain a princely independent state when the British left the Khasi Jaintia Hills. He strongly opposed the idea of India merging the Hynniewtrep land with India.

Later he left for Bangladesh and vowed never to set foot on the Indian Territory. Wickliffe Syiem died on October 21, 1988.