HT Bureau
DIPHU, July 26: The All Party Hills Leaders Conference (APHLC) has demanded the non-tribal Members of Autonomous Council to step down from Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) and KAAC should come up with a report on Karbi-Dimasa clash in 2005 in Karbi Anglong.
Talking to the press persons on Tuesday, APHLC president JI Kathar said that the KAAC was formed as per the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India. He said, “But it is seen now that the BJP-ruled KAAC is defying that provision by not only allowing the non-tribal communities to contest in the election, but has appointed them executive members via nominated MAC without contesting the election.”
President Kathar stressed that Mukut Mahanta from Deopani, who is a non-tribal has without contesting KAAC election been directly appointed as executive member of the council.
He asserted that as per Sixth Schedule, nominated MACs cannot be inducted from the non-tribal community. “Our demand is very clear, the APHLC is opposed to this and MAC Mahanta must step down,” he further said.
The APHLC exclaimed that if a non-tribal person like Mahanta can become MAC and EM without contesting the election then in the coming days the non-tribal persons can have the right to become the chief executive member of KAAC. Kathar also pressed that other non-tribal persons like Ajit Kumar Dey from Howraghat and Pawan Kumar Rai from Kopili, who won the KAAC election and are MACs should also step down as well.
Highlighting the Karbi-Dimasa clash took place in 2005, the APHLC leader said that the clash was not the enmity between Karbi and Dimasas. He alleged that the Government agents have used them to create mistrust among them. “It was the plan of the Government as even after 18 years the enquiry report has not been brought out,” he said adding that the Government agents have triggered the Karbi-Dimasa, Karbi-Rengma, Karbi-Kuki, Karbi-Khasi, Hmar-Dimasa and Dimasa-Zimi Naga clashes.
The APHLC also demanded the State Government to make public the report within a month.
