Shillong Dec 12: A delegation of the Assam-based Khasi-Jaintia people led by the KSU Barak Valley Circle and the Barak Valley Khasi-Jaintia Development Council Demand Committee (BVKJDCDC) are currently in Shillong to seek support of the KSU central body and other local NGOs of the state for their demands which they have put up before the Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.
It was learnt that the Khasi-Jaintia community based at Barak Valley in Assam on Tuesday met its chief minister, Tarun Gogoi to demand the constituting and setting up of the Barak Valley Khasi-Jaintia Development Council in order for them to be able to avail the different facilities provided by the government to the minority groups.
The delegation of the Assam-based Khasi-Jaintia people led by the KSU Barak Valley Circle and the Barak Valley Khasi-Jaintia Development Council Demand Committee (BVKJDCDC) are currently in Shillong to seek the support of the KSU central body and other local NGOs of the state and its people in this regard.
Informing reporters here on Wednesday vice president of the KSU Barak Valley Circle Comely Gassah said the delegation apprised the Assam chief minister, Governor and the Minister incharge of Welfare Of Plain Tribes (WPT) & Backward Classes (BC) department of the problems faced by the Khasi-Jaintia people in the three districts of Assam—Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi which do not fall into any autonomous district councils.
He also said, “The Khasi-Jaintia community of Barak Valley continuously suffers deprivation-socially, economically and politically due to the faulty policies of various preceding governments.”
While informing that the Khasi-Jiantia people have been staying in those three district since time immemorial but was denied recognition, Gassah said “There are about 96,000 residents with over 300 households in these three districts but unfortunately we are being excluded from the possibility of ensuring our maximum participation within the framework of the constitution of India for socio-economic, political and cultural development of the community in the region and as such, the people are lacking behind in all fields of developmental parameters and hence are utterly backward and at the lowest level of human development index of the state of Assam”.
Maintaining that by having a council it will help in uplifting the welfare of the indigenous people Gassah said that by having a development council will not only bring about an uplift of the people’s well being or developing the welfare of the community but at the same time, it will improve the condition of the people from the present economic hardship and hurdles besides enabling them to contribute more for the welfare of the society.
Meanwhile, president of the BVKJDCDC Sebastian Pakyntein going by the population of the indigenous tribes in Assam, “we are no longer the minority group but due to lack of education and exposure, we are left unattended by the Assam government.”
He also stated that till date, their identity is still in a hanging position as they were either considered as neither schedule tribes nor general. “We had appealed to the Assam government for recognition of the Khasis with schedule tribes’ status (Khasi, Jaintia, Synteng, War, Bhoi, Lyngam) in all the excluding autonomous districts of Assam who are the indigenous tribe and linguistic minority of Assam”, Pakyntein said.
Further, Pakyntein said “All this time, we were simply used as the vote banks of some political parties but were never granted any political rights simply because we were not considered either as ST or general.”
The delegation had also asked the Assam government to complete the land demarcation and vesting the rights of land dwelling, occupation and cultivation in the forest as per the Forest Right Act 2005 in the entire Barak Valley which included the three above mentioned districts besides seeking the government’s attention in relation to harassment of the Khasi-Jaintia village dwellers of Karimganj district by the forest official department.
In this regard, Pakyntein said that the Governor of Assam had assured that he will be visiting Karimganj district along with the Deputy Commissioner of the district and the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) on December 15 to discuss on the issue pertaining to land demarcation.
In connection with their efforts to preserve the Khasi Language, the KSU Barak Valley had also asked the government to facilitate the introduction of Khasi language at all the primary level of all Khasi dominated schools in conjunction with the Meghalaya Board as an alternative medium of subject
Meanwhile, KSU Central Body Education Secretary Donald Thabah had extended full-support to them while stressing on the need for protection of the Khasi-Jaintia people of Assam from indiscrimination and longstanding difficulty.(SP News)
