Meghalaya: Northeast ADCs form committee to pursue Sixth Schedule amendments

The ten Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) from the Northeast unanimously decided to urge the Centre to speed up addressing their issues regarding the proposed amendment of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India during a meeting at Tripura Castle, Shillong.

Addressing the media, Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) chief, Pyniaid Sing Syiem who chaired the meeting, said, “Union Home Minister Amit Shah had assured us during our meeting with him that within August 25, meaning within a month’s time, the committee constituted recently has been asked to complete the task of addressing issues raised by the ten ADCs.”

He further said that the discussion revolved around the need to follow up on the recent meeting held with Shah in New Delhi, further adding, "Accordingly, we have decided to constitute a committee to ensure unity of all the ten ADCs on the matter. We will later announce the name of this committee which will lead a delegation of 10 ADCs from NE region to follow up the issue as we have unanimously decided to unitedly urge the Centre to speed up the matter.” 

He informed that the committee will be headed by him as chief convener, while TIPRA Motha leader Pradyot Manikya Deb Barma and Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC)’s Elwin Teron will act as advisers.

On being asked, Syiem said that Shah "had assured all demands of the ten ADCs will be finalised before tabling it (amendment) in the parliament within a month’s time." 

According to him, they are expecting that the proposed amendment bill would be tabled in the next parliament session to be held in October or November.

The KHADC CEM further informed that the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) has decided to allot land to all ten ADCs for construction of their respective guest houses or offices while the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council has agreed to set up an English medium school to be named after Khasi freedom fighter U Tirot Sing Syiem in North Tripura, which is inhabited by Khasi-Pnar population.

Earlier while speaking to reporters, Deb Barma had said, “Today is a follow up meeting to ensure that whatever commitments given by the government of India are honoured in a time bound manner.”

“Many times, we have had lack of coordination amongst the indigenous tribal of the North East, the native people of North East and therefore our voices are not heard in a uniformed manner in Delhi, so we have decided that if we speak individually, we will never be able to achieve whatever we want so if we can combine our strength and energy and put pressure on the government of India, they will have to heed to our demand,” he said.

He further added, “I don’t see any reason why they cannot do it. The Congress party, which is in the opposition, has agreed to support the 125th amendment, the ruling government in its manifesto had said that they will implement the 125th amendment, so where’s the delay. Maybe the delay is because we are not speaking out aggressively and we are not negotiating our rights properly with the government of India so our effort will be to give maximum to our community to our indigenous people from across the region. Time has come for all of us to speak for our people rather than speak for our parties. That’s the main agenda.”

Asked, Deb Barma said, “The union minister has assured that within one month, we will form a committee and address our problems. So it is very important that we hold him to his word. He didn’t give me that commitment individually, he gave it to all the 10 ADCs and now he has to honour the commitment otherwise we will have to put pressure in our own way which may not be to the best interest of the government of India. So I once again urged the government of India to honour its own words and ensure that the legitimate rights of our people are honoured.”

On the formation of the committee of all 10 ADCs, Deb Barma said, “We will give it an official structure and if required, if we have to agitate, if we have to send memorandums, if we have to negotiate, we will do it as a joint working group rather than individually going to Delhi and talking and our issues not getting resolved.”