The KSU, Vairengte circle, recently met leaders of the union’s central body here and sought intervention into the issue of the Khasi-Jaintia community not being identified as indigenous people in Mizoram.
Union general secretary Hamlet Dohling said a delegation of the central body members would meet officials of the Mizoram government and student bodies to take up the cause of the community in the state.
During the meeting with KSU central body members, representatives of the union’s Vairengte circle in Kolasib district said the Khasi-Jaintia community is facing a lot of hardships.
KSU, Vairengte circle president Paila Dkhar said members of the Khasi-Jaintia community are not considered as indigenous people in Mizoram and are deprived of many rights.
According to Dkhar, the Mizoram government is not giving land holding or land settlement certificates to the Khasi-Jaintia community in Vairengte who had settled there since 1935.
There are 60 households belonging to the community at Vairengte.
Citing an example of partial treatment by the Mizoram government, Dkhar said though they are not being issued land settlement certificates, the Nepali community at Vairengte is availing of the same certificates.
“We want the Mizoram government to know that if it can provide land settlement documents (to the Nepali community), the Khasi-Jaintia people, who had settled there for several years, more than deserve to get the official certificates,” he said.
The KSU leader also pointed out that in 2008, though the Mizoram government had okayed issuing of land settlement certificates to the Khasi Jaintia community, NGOs like the Young Mizo Association (YMA) and Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) had opposed the move.
The KSU central body leaders said there is a need for an immediate dialogue between the two non-government organisations to ensure that the Khasi residents get the land settlement certificates.
“We want the Mizoram state government to issue the relevant certificates as this would make our people residing there economically independent,” Dohling said.
According to KSU, while the Mizo people residing in Meghalaya are enjoying equal rights, the Khasi-Jaintia residents in Mizoram should also be given the land holding certificates. He said the community’s members are genuine citizens, having resided in Mizoram for over 70 years.
Dohling said the union hopes to solve the issue at the earliest.