Meghalaya: Three Hindu faithfuls communalizing Ichamati’s issue

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaOctober 15, 2020

A representation on Thursday sought the intervention of the Governor, Satya Pal Malik into the alleged atrocities by the NGOs and the district council against non-tribal residing in Ichamati and Bholaganj areas in East Khasi Hills District.

The representation submitted by three persons namely Prantush Sarkar, Mridul Das and Binayak Roy, alleged that there has been tremendous efforts made by the state machinery to stop the Hindu population from earning their livelihood so that they become bound to leave the state.

It said that the state machinery in connivance with various NGOs like KSU, FKJGP, HYC etc along with the help of district councils and police are ensuring that the shops and other establishment of such Hindu communities are shut down in the name of trading licence/NOCs from various local institutions.

The representation also alleged that the members of the NGOs in connivance with the administration and police have always been found stopping vehicles in search of people belonging to Hindu or non-tribal community and on identification of the same, are often harassed and beaten up in the name of documents, ID proof, labour license etc.

It said the different Hindu community people who are permanent residents of the state have been compelled every year to obtain NOC for business purposes from the headman or other local traditional institution.

“That such illegal action will uproot and de-establish more than 7000 families in the area of Ichamati and Bholaganj, who mostly belongs to Hindu or Sanatan Dharma and their religion is one of the major reasons for such step motherly attitude by the state, as the majority of the people in the state are Christian with 74.59% of the total population and majority of members in the District Council and Legislative Assembly belongs to Christian Religion and without any help of the state machinery, such illegal activities in the state cannot perpetuate. That such form of religious persecution should be looked at seriously by your good office so that people of the state does not have to face religious persecution in a manner which is very new to this world,” it said.

The representation also alleged that the district council in the state seems to be working with agenda which does not support national integration and are working against the people of indigenous faith like Niam Khasi, Niam Tynrai, Songsarek etc by systematically removing the chiefs or heads belonging to indigenous faith in various traditional institutions, with people belonging to Christian faith and then gradually stopping them from performing their religious ritual and thereby pushing them towards Christianity.

Further, the District Council has been using the power of issuing the trading licence, labour license etc as a tool to uproot and de-establish the Hindu non tribal population of the state.

“That the Trading Licence for business are not being issued by District Councils and if issued not renewed, as if the District Councils are obliged only to pressure groups like KSU, FKJGP, HYC etc or there has been a mutual understanding/ cooperation between the two to uproot non-tribal people mostly belonging to Hindu religion from the state, which is a subject of investigation,” it further stated.

The representation also said illegal and unnecessary arrest of male members of the family has been made in connection with the incident at Ichamati, which took place on February 20, this year.

It said this has resulted in helpless conditions for many women and children whose husband, son, father, father-in-law has been arrested and put behind bars without any bail.

Meanwhile, the representation requested the governor to take stern action against the NGOs and to ensure that people irrespective of any religion, race, caste, creed or tribe can enjoy the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution and no people irrespective of tribal or non-tribal face any difficulty or religious persecution.

It also requested the government to make sure that the state machinery like the district council, police, are not used as a tool to subjugate and suppress the oppressed sections of the population in the state in the name of performing legal duty.