Shillong, November 16: The conglomeration of the NGos from Garo Hills today have sent the memorandum to the Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma and the three Chief Executive Member’s of the three Autonomous District Council urging them to take immediate steps to stop implementation of mandatory Aadhaar in Meghalaya by the Central Government.
The Memorandum was address to the Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma, Mr Boston Marak, Chief Executive Member, Garo Hills Autonomous District Council, Mr P.N.Syiem, Chief Executive Member, Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council and Mr Andrew Shullai, Chief Executive Member, Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council, of Meghalaya.
The BGOs in the press statement said that making Aadhaar mandatory we can no longer be the sole masters of our own wealth and cash which we tribals traditionally cherish keeping our hard cash earned, and treasures in giant earthen pots or traditional bowls to one’s possession in secret.
The centrally proposed cashless scheme makes one an outcast in the society because refusal of this aadhaar number of the central govt will eventually lead to the fact that without that number, no one might buy or sell unless he or she takes the number of Aadhar of the Central Govt which is being forced to giving to all sections of the society including infants or children, adults, old and young, govt servants, private companies’ employees and employers, poor and rich paralysing the commercial activities of day-to-day life of everyone which is being carried out by the current govt under the prime ministership of Mr. Narendra Modi.
The representatives of NGOs,Churches and Concerned Citizens of Garo Hills humbly beg your hon’ble authority to stop implementation of this mandatory aadhaar and the same be exempted in due respect to our ethnic customs, traditions,religions and practices of Garos, Khasis and Jaintias. Even at present, aadhaar biometric enrolment creates panic, mystification, fear of data being hacked and privacy being taken away by the centre in a democratic country. For which cause we would like to express out our stand against such undemocratic implementation of Aadhaar by the centre and would like to state the following points for your consideration and immediate necessary action.
In this connection the NGOs eagerly look up to your authority to consider our deep imploration taking the interest of defending the sacred sanctity of customary laws, religious virtues, ethnic identity, culture, privacy and right to self determination of the citizens of this 6th Schedule state for which your powerful intervention is most sought to put in place a resolution to address this issue with utmost priority.
In the light of the above stated facts and the aforesaid truths, we humbly plead to your hon’ble authority to bar and scrap the applicability of Aadhar Act,2016 to the entire state of Meghalaya by resorting to the exemption clause under the provisions of 6th Schedule of the Constitution of India so that our inborn freedom and liberty in this tribal state of our fore-fathers are intact,secured and preserved.
