Politics / Meghalaya

SHILLONG, April 11 — Meghalaya Government today decided to go ahead to form a joint command of the police forces of the State and neighbouring Assam to better facilitate coordination in tackling militancy in the two States.

The decision was taken at a meeting here today, Meghalaya Chief Minister D D Lapang told newsmen. The joint command is expected to help both the States in curbing growing militant activities. The banned ULFA and NDFB ultras are known to have set up hide-outs in Meghalaya specially the Garo Hills area to escape the dragnet of the Unified Command.

Both the ULFA and NDFB...

SHILLONG, April 10 — More than 200 Hmar people have taken shelter in Meghalaya following clashes with the Dimasa tribals in Cachar Hill districts of neighbouring Assam since April one, reports PTI. The Hmars had mostly taken shelter in the Evangelical Free Church of India in the state capital, official sources said.

The displaced were being rehabilitated by some local NGOs. The state Government would provide relief to the refugees only after getting the report of the enquiry into the exodus. The East Khasi Hills district’s Extra-Assistant Commissioner, I Majaw would conduct the enquiry and...

Shillong, April 6: Umrangsho in the North Cachar Hills has had little to do with the ethnic feud between Dimasas and Hmars so far, but after the March 31 incident at Chekarcham and Meghnathal in Cachar, things are not the same any more.

Forty-five-year-old Dingi, who fled the village with her family of eight members including a month-old baby, fears a violent backlash by militants of the Dima Halam Daoga in Umrangsho, which is flanked by Dimasa and Karbi villages in the north.

?We fled our homes as some of us have heard of a conspiracy by the DHD to torch our villages in retaliation against...

SHILLONG, April 5— There is no move to bring the Garo Hills under the purview of the Disturbed Areas Act, Meghalaya Home Minister, R G Lyngdoh has said. Talking to The Assam Tribune in his office chamber here Friday, the Home Minister said the government does not want to deploy army in the militant-infested Garo Hills. “Army deployment usually leads to harassment of innocents as witnessed in the neighbouring states,” Lyngdoh observed. He, however, cautioned that if the situation did not improve in the Garo Hills the government might be compelled to seek military assistance.

Meanwhile, the...

Shillong, March 27: The Meghalaya government will move New Delhi to intervene in the vexed boundary dispute with Assam if its hand is forced, chief minister D.D. Lapang said here today. However, another attempt would be made to solve the problem of militancy along the border, he added.

Replying to the debate on the Governor’s address, the chief minister mooted a mission of peace. Lapang said the Assam boundary problem needs settlement. He said the status quo between both states would be maintained till a solution is found. “We have to solve it together,” he said, adding that he would fix a...

SHILLONG, March 25 — Only 11 tribes belonging to the State of Meghalaya will be eligible to buy land in the State once the Meghalaya Transfer of Land (Regulation) Act, 1971 is amended, Chief Minister DD Lapang said today.

Describing the proposed amendment as “high sensitive” and “debatable”, Lapang informed the Meghalaya assembly that it is the intention of the government to prune the number of tribes eligible to buy land in the State from the present 54 to only 11.

Under the proposed amendment only the Khasi, Jaintia and Garos and also the indigenous Hmar, Baite, Karbi, Lalung (Tiwa), Rabha...

Shillong, March 24: Meghalaya forest minister Sing Mulieh today defended the recent sacrifice of two leopards as part of a tribal ritual, saying he would personally not allow the law to get in the way of religion.

Members of a tribe that practises the Niam Tynrai religion sacrificed the animals, both of the Felis Bengalinsis species, during the Rong Khli or Shad Khla festival at Nongtalang in the Jaintia Hills.

Leopards are categorised as “rare and endangered” under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.

The forest minister, who is from the Jaintia Hills, said he would not allow...

SHILLONG, March 24—Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr Donkupar Roy today assured the House that the State government would spare no efforts to ensure that the proposal of the Constituency Delimitation Commission to change the boundaries of the Shillong and Tura parliamentary constituencies are not given effect to.

Describing the move of the Commission as “a very emotional issue”, for the majority Khasi tribe in the state, the Deputy Chief Minister, who is also incharge of elections, urged all members and all political parties to give a united stand in opposing the proposals of the Commission.” Dr...

Shillong, March 21: The sacrifice of a leopard in Nongtaleng village of Jaintia Hills district today has brought a minister in the D.D. Lapang government as well as an entire community under a cloud. The forest department is probing the incident.

Residents of Nongtalang, 17 km from Dawki and 3 km from the Bangladesh border, sacrificed the leopard (Felis Bengalensis), a rare and endangered species according to Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, to celebrate Rong Khli or Shad Khla (festival of tiger). The festival, which was held after 10 years, is celebrated by believers of Niam Tynrai...

SHILLONG, March 19 — Meghalaya Governor MM Jacob today admitted that there had been serious allegations of corruption in the government during the last few years and assured that the new Government would strive to provide clean, transparent and efficient governance.

In his maiden address to the members of the newly constituted seventh Meghalaya Assembly here today, the Governor promised “concrete steps will be taken to strengthen the vigilance set-up in the State to deal effectively with corruption in the Government.” The hour-long address spoke of the State Government’s firm commitment to...