Staff Reporter
SHILLONG:
The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has decided to revive the treaty of the Instrument of Accession (IOA) and also has come up with a resolution to be sent to the government of India soon.
It may be mentioned that the IoA was signed between the Khasi hills and the Dominion of India and it has also been the long pending demand of the Federation of Khasi States (FKS) from the Center to fulfil the treaty terms of the IoA of August 17, 1948.
The KSU held a debate on Standstill Agreement, Instrument of Accession, Annexed Agreement, and Sixth Schedule in which Sadon Blah, Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) MDCs PN Syiem and Paul Lyngdoh, Spiton Kharakor, John Kharshiing and Vijay Lyngdoh as the moderator at Multi-use convention hall, NEHU on October 21.
The debate was part of the union’s observation of the 34th death anniversary of Deputy Syiem Hima Nongstoiñ, Paiem Wickliffe Syiem.
Following the debate the KSU president Lambokstarwell Marngar read out the resolution and solicited the agreement from the members present which included traditional heads from various dorbar shnong, members of the union. The members present at the hall in unison agreed to the resolution.
“The KSU will work hard to revive the agreement signed in the Instrument of Accession, and also to demand from the Union government to fulfil the provisions in the agreement,” he said.
He said that the union will submit a memorandum to the union government seeking clarity on Standstill Agreement, Instrument of Accession, Annexed Agreement, and Sixth Schedule.
“Apart from the Sixth Schedule, the Indian government should empower the Hynniewtrep Land through Articles 371 (a) and (g) as seen in the states of Nagaland and Mizoram,” he said.
Marngar said that as a mark to honour the agreement between India and the chiefs of Hynniewtrep through the IOA, he said that the union government should recognise and include Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
He added that the center should implement the Inner Line Permit (Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act, 1873),
He has also urged upon the Federation of Khasi States to find ways and means to include daloi, waheh shnong (headmen) of the Elaka in Pnar region.
Marngar said the Hynniewtrep should have a separate anthem asserting that the majority of the Hynniewtrep people do not understand it and India’s national anthem does not mention Hynniewtrep or its parts.
On the same day, KSU activists put up banners across Shillong which read, “Honour the Standstill Agreement, honour the Instrument of Accession.”