Shillong, August 26: The official government of India Minutes regarding the exemption of Coal Mines Nationalization Act 1973 and the Mines Mineral Development Regulation Act 1957, held on 30th Jan 2017 in New Delhi between the Union Ministry of Coal with Senior Meghalaya State Government Officials is a serious matter for all concerned indigenous people to rise in one voice to demand for the restoration of our land and mineral rights.
The minutes clearly show the lack of interest by the Center in honouring the issues raised through the official resolutions of the Meghalaya Assembly on 24 September 2015 and another in 2016, requesting the center to exempt Meghalaya from Coal Legislation under the provisions of para 12A (b) of the Sixth Schedule, of the Constitution of India, which vaguely reflects the Instrument of Accession and Annexed Agreement 17 August 1948.
It is ironic that certain people are making flying visits to Shillong, are making unverified baseless allegations and comments that the State Government has not done its bit to approach the Center. It is amply clear from the official Minutes of the Meeting that the entire matter is before the government of India.The people need to know the factual position of the case.
Those who want to comment on NGT, Mining Policy and the coal issue should do a thorough research and understanding on the matter else they are exposed as ignorant on the critical issue of ownership of Land and Mineral resources vis-a-vis the treaty Agreements of the Federation of Khasi States.
However inconvenient it may be, as one who has always tried to call a spade a spade, we would like to reiterate an stay that this delay by the Central Government to exempt Meghalaya from the Coal Mines Nationalisation Act 1973 and the Mines Mineral Development Regulation Act 1957, in the interest of the people and their rights is a violation of our Human Rights, particularly when such a resolution has been expressed through the official “house of the people”.
Hence we strongly request all political parties not to indulge in false and miss-leading statements when speaking about our indigenous rights over Land and Mineral Resources, especially when the minutes of the meeting held in New Delhi expose the lack of interest by the Center in resolving the core political treaty of the Khasi States.
