KSU and its charter of demands: The plight of Khasis living in Barak Valley, Assam
By Ibankyntiew Mawrie
SILCHAR, Oct 13, 2017: Assurances after assurances, meetings after meetings, yet a solution hangs in balance. The Khasis (one of the major tribes of Meghalaya) living in Barak Valley of Assam are still fighting for the right to be recognized as Schedule Tribes, seeking constitutional protection.
Those Khasis living particularly in Barak Valley in Assam have been demanding from the Assam government for a separate council to look into the welfare of the community owing to the fact that the Khasis living outside the autonomous district councils do not enjoy the Schedule Tribes status.
The nearly two lakh population of the Khasi people in the Barak Valley is spread across over 300 villages in Hailakandi, Karimganj and Cachar. The Khasis are not recognised as Scheduled Tribes in Cachar, Karimganj, Hailakandi and other districts of Assam except in the scheduled areas of Dima Hasao (erstwhile North Cachar Hills) and Bodoland Autonomous Council.
"Our prior demand is the creation and constitution of Khasi Jaintia Development Council (KJDC) Assam, that has become urgent and needs immediate attention," President of the Khasi Student Union (KSU) Barak Valley Circle, Assam Morning Suja told TNT-The Northeast Today.
According to Suja, the KSU has been demanding for a separate council and ST status since 2011 during the Congress led government in Assam. "Even then, we have been assured time and again that our demands will be met but to our utter dismay, none of them materialized," he added.
When asked about the plight of the Khasis living in Assam, Suja said except for those Khasis living under the autonomous district councils, the residents of Barak Valley particularly those living in the rural and border areas become victims of negligence and under development.
"Till date, we have received no justice but that wouldn't stop us. We will continue to demand for our rights as indigenous tribals and we have also sought the help of North East Students' Organization (NESO) in pursuing the matter with the present BJP led government," said the students' union president.
Recently, the KSU Barak Valley Circle, Assam have requested Dr Samujjal Bhattacharjee, chief advisor to NESO Assam, to take up a few matters related to recognition of Scheduled Tribe status to all the indigenous Khasi tribes or communities living in the excluding autonomous districts councils in the whole state of Assam.
Suja also mentioned that they also met the Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday and stated that in their fifth meeting with the CM, they have flagged the same issue and the assurance given remains the same. "The CM assured that he will go through our demands and decide accordingly," said the KSU president.
It may be reminded that in 2015, the Khasi-Pnar population in Assam's Barak Valley had also sought "constitutional protection".
THE KSU'S CHARTER OF DEMANDS:
- Constitution and creation of Khasi Jaintia Development Council (KJDC) Assam to get opportunities for participating in social, economic, educational, ethnic and cultural work.
- Recognition of Scheduled Tribe status to all the indigenous Khasi tribes or communities living in the excluding autonomous districts councils in the whole state of Assam.
- Immediate allotment of land and funds for construction of Khasi students' hostel cum guest house at proper Silchar.
- Implementation of Forest Rights Act, 2005 by allotting of titles (pattas) and boundary demarcation of titles of the STs living in Barak Valley, with the Government of Assam.
The charter of demands also reads that Khasi are the most vulnerable group in Assam.
THE FAULT LINE: RECOVERING FROM BETRAYAL
The Khasis living in Barak Valley have alleged that their trust was broken and they were betrayed causing them to live under poverty and illiteracy. The KSU maintained that as per the Government of India Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes Orders (Amendment) Act 1976 and the revised list of Assam Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Orders (Amendment) Act 2002 issued by the Department of Welfare of Plains Tribes and Backward Classes, Government of Assam in 2003 has tampered with documents by preventing them from being officially recognized in the Assam Gazettes.
Furthermore, they stated that the Government of Assam had in 2001 accorded ST status to the Garo tribe all over Assam who were, till then, also excluded from the ST status in non autonomous areas of Assam, while the Khasis whose numbers stand at 1 lakh 50 thousand (as per 2011 census) are excluded.
"Those in the helms of affairs have tampered with the documents by purposely preventing us from availing the benefits enjoyed by the STs, and by dubiously not recognizing us officially in the Assam Gazettes," KSU Barak Valley Education Secretary Mann Sympli said.
He also alleged that most of the assurances made in the past were done within closed doors which is a well-planned move to prevent the matter from blowing out of proportion, which otherwise would have compelled the government to concede.
Interestingly, during the 2016 Assembly elections in Assam, PWD Minister in the BJP led government, Parimal Suklabaidya, a representative of Dholai constituency, which houses majority of the Khasis, had assured them that once elected, he will raised the issue with the government, but even after he became a cabinet minister, nothing has materialised.
CALLENGES FACED
The KSU Barak Valley stated that the Khasis, especially the college going students of Cachar districts are facing extreme difficulties and hardship in order to reach out to the mainstream. Those coming from far flung villages for educational purposes, medical treatment and official purposes suffers due to lack of proper safety, security, economical and financial constraints.
As a result of which almost 90% of communities' students are compelled to leave or drop out for not being able to afford to pay their costly room rents.
In as far as infrastructure is concerned, the KSU President said that the road communication is at its worst particularly in the rural areas, health wise – no proper health care centres are available and people have to travel miles to get medical aides and education wise – negligence and lack of proper educational institutes has forced many youth to drop out.
NESO EXTENDS ITS SUPPORT
Meanwhile, Chairperson of North East Students' Organization (NESO) Samuel Jyrwa stated that NESO along with All Assam Students Union (AASU) supports the demand of the KSU Barak Valley. "We have taken certain steps to ensure that the Khasi people living in Barak Valley particularly in the three districts are protected and we have also requested the AASU to look into their problems," Jyrwa said.
Jyrwa, who is also the former KSU President in Meghalaya said that NESO along with AASU have also recently raised the issue with the Deputy Commissioners of the respective districts to see that the people are safe and secure.
"Being an organisation of Indigenous people, NESO supports the demand for a Khasi Development Council and ST status," Jyrwa said adding that they along with AASU and KSU are constantly looking into the problem and pursuing the matter with the government.
"Despite the odds, we will continue to fight for our rights as an indigenous tribe and we will keep on pressurizing the government to heed our demands and we urge our brothers and sisters in Meghalaya and Assam to be sympathetic to our plight," KSU president Morning Suja said.
(The writer can be reached at iban@thenortheasttoday.com or mawrie.iban@gmail.com)
