By NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: A recent amendment making a valid Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate mandatory for candidates contesting elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) has sparked debate in Meghalaya over whether the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) should adopt a similar requirement.
The discussion gained momentum after Governor C.H. Vijayashankar approved amendments to the Assam and Meghalaya Autonomous Districts Rules, 1951, making ST certificates compulsory for candidates seeking to contest GHADC elections.
The amendment effectively bars non-tribal candidates from participating in the council’s polls.
Former KHADC Chief Executive Member Bindo Lanong welcomed the development and said the Khasi Hills council should consider introducing a similar provision through legal amendments.
Referring to past elections, Lanong noted that non-tribal representatives had earlier been elected from constituencies such as Laban-Mawprem and Laitumkhrah. He said the GHADC amendment could serve as a model for similar reforms in the KHADC.
According to Lanong, autonomous district councils were established to safeguard the rights and interests of indigenous tribal communities, and such protections should be clearly reflected in the law.
Advocate Erwin K. Syiem Sutnga said the issue had already been examined during the tenure of former KHADC Chairman H.S. Shylla and former Chief Executive Member P.N. Syiem.
Sutnga recalled being a member of a committee that studied the matter and said its recommendations were already on record, making the formation of another committee unnecessary.
According to him, the panel had recommended that only members of indigenous tribal communities, including Khasi and Jaintia groups, should be eligible to contest district council elections.
He also called for cooperation among political parties and leaders, saying issues concerning the state’s larger interests should be addressed through a collective approach.
Laban-Mawprem MDC Ricky Shullai said there is still no clarity on whether the KHADC has begun examining possible amendments to Rule 128. According to him, the matter is expected to come up during the council’s budget session starting Wednesday.