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Plea challenges Meghalaya chief minister's tribal status

Posted by Sinlung

Shillong : The Meghalaya High Court Friday asked a petitioner who filed a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the scheduled tribe status of Chief Minister Mukul Manda Sangma and the state government to produce copies of the necessary laws and rules.

Hearing the case, a division bench of Acting Chief Justice T.N.K. Singh and Justice S.R. Sen directed the Meghalaya government and the petitioner, Tennydard M. Marak, to produce the Reservation of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Act and Rules of Meghalaya, and a brochure on Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe published and issued by the central government.

It fixed Sep 6 for the next hearing.

Marak had filed the PIL alleging that Sangma, the Congress legislator from Ampati constituency in South West Garo Hills, had fraudulently obtained the Scheduled Tribe certificate.

However, Advocate General K.S. Kynjing, appearing on behalf of the state government, raised the maintainability of the writ petition in the form of PIL and also contended that the affidavit filed by the petitioner in support of the writ petition was not in the prescribed format.

The division bench thus permitted the advocate general to file a short affidavit on the two issues.

The respondents to the PIL include the state of Meghalaya, represented by the secretary to the department of welfare of scheduled tribes and scheduled castes, secretary to the home department, South West Garo Hills deputy commissioner, West Garo Hills deputy commissioner, and the chief minister himself.

Earlier, Marak had sent a complaint to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes demanding cancellation of the Scheduled Tribe certificate which was accorded to Sangma. He had also asked the Election Commission to take action against the chief minister.

Not only Marak, the All North East Indigenous Garo Law Promoter Association, had recently alleged that Sangma does not belong to the "Sangma" clan, and that he had used his surname only to obtain a Scheduled Tribe certificate.

In the past, certain groups and individuals had raised the issue because of the fact that the chief minister's late mother was a non-Garo. His family, however, had accused his rivals of political vendetta through personal attacks.

Sangma's brother and incumbent minister Zenith had recently clarified that their mother, Roshanara Begum, was a part and parcel of Garo society, having embraced its customary laws and traditions after her marriage and settling down in Ampati - the district headquarters of South West Garo Hills.

Known for her social work, Roshanara was posthumously accorded international recognition by the Bangladesh government for her humanitarian work during the 1971 Liberation War, which forced thousands of Bangladeshis to flee across the border into Garo hills to escape atrocities by Pakistani troops.

Moreover, the Manda clan, which Sangma belongs to, had recently come out in defence of the Garo Hills leader following the allegations.

The Mamong Manda Mahari Kumonggrikani (Central Malicia Clan Association), had said that the allegation raised was "baseless" and untrue, which were designed to malign the image of the chief minister.

Teachers in Meghalaya observe pen-down strike

Posted by Sinlung

Over 15,000 teachers of government-aided schools and colleges in Meghalaya today observed pen-down strike as a mark of protest against the State government's 'insensitiveness' to their demands which include uniform salaries besides, benefits and implementation of the education policy.

"About 14,000 teachers and over 1000 teachers of deficit and adhoc categories of schools and colleges are taking part in the pen down strike all over the state," E D Nongsiang, convener of the Joint Action Committee of All Teachers' Associations of Meghalaya (JACATAM), an umbrella association of government aided primary schools and colleges, told PTI.

Today's strike is the second of a series of strike announced by the JACATAM in the state in the run up to September 5 which marks the celebration of teachers' day.

The JACATAM has also announced a mass casual leave (CL) on September 3, dharna in various districts and zones on September 4 and mass rally to be held in the state capital on September 5.

According to Nongsiang, the demands put forth by the association include regular and uniform payment of salary to all the teachers of government-aided schools and colleges, provincialisation of teachers' services or professions to all government aided schools, implementation of the state education policy and MBOSE/examination reforms.

Government aided school teachers in Meghalaya do not get uniform salaries for the same job and the same syllabus they teach. The difference ranges from Rs 6000 to Rs 30,000 and there are no retirement benefits or medi-claim benefits.

Meghalaya seeks Rs.3,120 crore special package

Posted by Sinlung

Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has sought a Rs.3,120 crore special package from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for developmental projects, an official said Wednesday.

In a memorandum submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday, Sangma requested the Centre to consider granting a "special package" to finance seven projects, on a 100 percent central funding basis, over and above the plan outlays of the state.

"This would undoubtedly be recognised by the people of the state as the noblest gesture on the part of the Centre towards realising their genuine aspirations," Sangma said.

The projects include setting up of the International Centre for Performing Arts and Culture at an estimated cost of Rs.350 crore, constructing the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly building, also at an estimated expenditure of Rs.350 crore and establishment of the State Medical College at Tura in West Garo Hills, at a cost of Rs.160 crore.

The other projects outlined by Sangma include setting up the Integrated Ganol Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation Project in Garo hills at a cost of Rs.350 crore, establishment of the New Shillong Township at an estimated expenditure of Rs.350 crore, construction of a State Technical University at a cost of Rs.60 crore and Rs.1,500 crore for the Integrated Basin Development and Livelihood Promotion Programme.

"These projects are of critical importance because they address two aspects of our economy which are vital to sustain growth. First these will help fill a crucial infrastructure deficit thereby creating ambient conditions for improving the quality of life of our people as well as accelerating the pace of socio-economic growth and well-being," Sangma said.

Moreover, he said the projects are aimed to create a cadre of dedicated professionals in neglected areas of health and technology.

"All the above projects have the potential to change the face of the state and capture the imagination of the people. These can change the entire discourse for the state and the region from backwardness, insurgency and alienation to a pulsating and vibrant community of education, music and culture with socio economic infrastructure that provides sustenance and support," he said.

At the same time, Sangma said Meghalaya was well behind the national average in terms of many socio-economic parameters and the "gap has been widening". To arrest this trend, he said the state government had taken a lot of steps and this has "resulted in a far better performance during the Eleventh Plan period".

"The overall economic growth rate of the state has been comparable with national trends. This needs to be sustained over the ongoing and the future plan periods. As stated earlier, we could use our annual plan outlays for the projects outlined above but in that case, we must be prepared to pay the cost," Sangma said.

Over 60% children in Meghalaya malnourished

Posted by Sinlung

SHILLONG: Around 64.4 per cent of the children in the state are suffering from malnutrition while 47.2 per cent of the women are anaemic. This was revealed in a heath camp organized by the Martin Luther Christian University (MLCU) in Moodymmai village under Thadlaskein block in the Jaintia Hills district.

The camp was organized with an aim to reach out to rural communities and extend the university's awareness programme to the marginalized sections of society.

"The number of women suffering from anaemia and malnourished children is very high in Meghalaya. The government and society need to come together and formulate ways to tackle these problems," a camp instructor said, citing official figures.

"Through experiential learning, university students of the department of allied health sciences are working to address these health issues by engaging each and every individual who come to the health camp," said the head of the department, allied health sciences, MLCU, Rennie Lakadong.

The objective of conducting these health camps is to impress upon people the importance of healthy practices, providing general healthcare services, one-on-one counseling on basic healthcare and hygiene and assessing the health and nutritional status of children, pregnant and lactating mothers, explained Lakadong. "The health camps also provide hands-on experience to students in rural healthcare," he added.

A total of 336 people attended the camp, including 143 schoolchildren. The most common diagnoses were nutritional anaemia, dental caries, cataract, allergic conjunctivitis and refractive errors.

Last year, the Meghalaya government had decided to conduct a research to understand the reasons for the high prevalence of anaemia in the state. "It was found that many women died after childbirth due to lack of blood. This is also one of the reasons for the increase in the maternal mortality rate in the state," a health official said.

Meanwhile, MLCU students, with the help of government medical doctors, are going to cover 10 schools and four Anganwadis centres over the next few months.

Meghalaya to sponsor students to study in German varsity

Posted by Sinlung

SHILLONG: The department of agriculture of the Meghalaya government is likely to sponsor students from the state to take up graduation and post-graduation courses in agriculture at Leibniz Universitat, Hannover, Germany. Chief minister Mukul Sangma has already held discussions with Erich Barke, president of the university, in this regard.

"Wrapping up a weeklong visit to Germany, an official delegation led by the chief minister agreed to develop a broad plan for partnership and a structural model for institutional development in areas of common interest that would set in motion a long-term collaboration between the government of Meghalaya and Leibniz Universitat, Hannover," an official statement said.

"The collaboration would include exchange of knowledge and technologies, capacity-building of officers, as well as establishing modern horticultural research facilities in Meghalaya. An agreement to this effect will be signed in due course after discussions on the specifics. A workshop is planned to be conducted in Meghalaya, preferably this year itself, to set the ball rolling," the release said.

It was also agreed, in principle, that the sponsoring of the first batch of students would start from the academic year 2014-16.

Sangma also met Matthias Pilz, director, German Research Centre on Comparative Vocational Education and Training (GREAT),University of Cologne, Germany, during which he highlighted the importance of vocational education and training to "ameliorate unemployment" among the youth of Meghalaya through a partnership between GREAT and the Meghalaya government. The aim is to provide quality training with the objective of creating a highly skilled youth workforce that can be meaningfully absorbed into the job spaces at the local, regional and even international levels.

According to the release, the CM highlighted the "strength of the state" to the authorities of the two German universities with regard to the large population of English-speaking youths in Mehgalaya. Sangma was felicitated by the Indian Association, Hannover, which conferred an honorary membership on him.

Meghalaya body presses for anti-superstition law

Posted by Sinlung

SHILLONG: On a day when the Maharashtra government has taken a decision to promulgate an ordinance on anti-superstition and black magic in the wake of the murder of renowned rationalist NarendraDabholkar, the Meghalaya Peoples Human Rights Council (MPHRC) iterated its demand for the enactment of an anti-superstition law in the state.

The MPHRC demand has gained momentum in the backdrop of the recent lynching of three persons by a mob at Smit village near here on the allegations that the trio was practicing witchcraft.

"The government is duty bound and it is mandatory on its part to comply with its legal obligations in fostering the respect for human rights under Article 51 of the Constitution of India," said MPHRC chairperson Dino DG Dympep.

Condemning the recent mob lynching of three persons at Smit for allegedly practicing withcraft, Dympep urged the government to prevent such acts and punish and prosecute individuals who accuse people of being superstitious or witches and resort to torture and murder.

"While recognizing the severity of the problem, Meghalaya must enact a law that protects people and guarantees their right to life, right to be free from cruel and inhuman treatment and right to security," Dympep emphasized.

"The government must ensure that the practice of extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions is brought to an end," he said.

On the other hand, following Tuesday's arrest of 12 accused, including six women in

connection with the lynching of three members of a family at Smit, police said more arrests would be made based on the interrogation of the 12 accused.

Police have registered more than 9 cases of violent incidents related to alleged witchcraft in East Khasi Hills district alone so far this year, a senior police officer said.

12 including 6 women held for ‘witch’ killing

Posted by Sinlung

SHILLONG, Aug 21 – Meghalaya police have arrested 12 persons, including six women, in the “premeditated” killing of three villagers in Smit, after accusing the victims of practising witchcraft.

All the 12 people are relatives of the victims and are residents of Smit on the outskirts of the State capital. The 12 have been produced in the local Court here today and remanded to seven days police custody.

East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police, M Kharkrang said, that all the 12 had planned the operation and it was a premeditated killing for some personal grudges they held against the victims. He, however, added that things would be clearer after proper interrogation of the accused. All the 12 have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for murder.

The SP said that there was a “meeting of minds” before the killing and the 12 were instrumental in instigating villagers of the area, accusing that the victims – Yesly Mawthoh, 70, his son D Nongdhar, 30, and Besly Mawthoh, 65 – were practitioners of witchcraft. The frenzied mob then lynched the victims in the incident on August 16.

Incidentally, the Smit village council did not allow the cremation of the trio at the village and the victims were cremated at the electric crematorium at Jhalupara here.

The police said that the village council after the killing dwelt at length about the police action on the villagers which involved lathi-charge and firing of tear gas shells to disperse the frenzied mob.

On the need to have an anti-superstition law, Kharkrang said that such an Act would help, but added, that even now there are enough provisions under the law to stop such atrocities and crime.

There has been a spate of violence in the name of witchcraft in the State, especially in Khasi-Jaintia Hills. Kharkrang said that it is spreading “like an epidemic” and the society has to come together to stop it.

There have been about nine cases related to witchcraft. In two incidents the victims were forced to eat excreta by the villagers.

Meghalaya CM asks people to explore new avenues

Posted by Sinlung

Shillong, Aug 15 (PTI) Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma today called for exploring new opportunities and asked to take advantage of what the immediate neighbour has to offer to facilitate economic growth.

"Bangladesh was the natural market for our products before partition. The partition has had the most debilitating impact on the economy of the entire North East region," Sangma said while addressing the 67th Independence Day celebration at Polo grounds here.

National Green Tribunal ban fails to stop sand mining in Meghalaya

Posted by Sinlung

SHILLONG, Aug 12 : Sand mining in Meghalaya, which has no mining policy yet, is rampant despite the recent ban imposed by National Green Tribunal across the country on mining or removal of sand from river beds.

Hills are being mercilessly razed to the ground in Meghalaya, especially along the rivers, for quarrying of stones and sand, destroying the unique flora and fauna and sources of water in the process. The NGT’s recent directive was prompted by the suspension of Durga Shakti Nagpal, an IAS officer, who had taken on the sand mafia in Uttar Pradesh. Nevertheless, the Meghalaya government seems to be least bothered in implementing the NGT order with sand banking unabated along the hill streams and rivers.

“River quarrying might lead to a catastrophy in Meghalaya like Uttarakhand if immediate measures are not taken to check the menace,” says eminent environmentalist and president of Meghalaya People’s Environment Rights Forum (MPERF) Naba Bhattacharjee.

Pointing out large-scale mining of limestone and coal in the Jaintia and Garo Hills of the state in gross violation of the Forest Regulation Act, Bhattacharjee said government officials who have connived in the plunder of natural resources should also be taken to task.

Saying that the state government has taken no initiative to regulate rampant mining in Meghalaya, he added that MPERF would be compelled to file a leave petition in Supreme Court if the state fails to comply within 90 days from the date of the order.

Observing that the state government has always cited that it has control over only 5 per cent of the land, while the remaining 95 per cent is in private occupation, Bhattacharjee said this was a “lame excuse” as there was enough provision in the United Khasi-Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (Management and Control of Forests) Act, 1958 for the district councils to act in case of environmental
depredation.

Protests for separate states in Meghalaya Shillong

Posted by Sinlung

More than 1,500 people today began a two-day demonstration in all the five district headquarters demanding two separate states for Garo and Khasi-Jaintia hill tribes in Meghalaya.

"The Centre should consider creation of separate Garo and Khasi-Jaintia states in Meghalaya based on linguistic lines as envisaged in the States Reorganisation Act, 1956," Clifford Marak, a Garo National Council MLA said.

The demonstration is being organised by the Garo Hills State Movement Committee, a conglomeration of various pressure groups and political groups.

The GNC and the Hills State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) have been demanding separate states for the Garo and Khasi-Jaintia tribes respectively for over two decades.

In view of the agitation, security has been tightened to prevent any untoward incident in all the five districts, police sa

Protests seeking separate states in Meghalaya

Posted by Sinlung

More than 1,500 people on Tuesday began a two-day demonstration in all the five district headquarters demanding two separate states for Garo and Khasi-Jaintia hill tribes in Meghalaya.

“The Centre should consider creation of separate Garo and Khasi-Jaintia states in Meghalaya based on linguistic lines as envisaged in the States Reorganisation Act, 1956,” Clifford Marak, a Garo National Council MLA said.

The demonstration is being organised by the Garo Hills State Movement Committee, a conglomeration of various pressure groups and political groups.

The GNC and the Hills State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) have been demanding separate states for the Garo and Khasi-Jaintia tribes respectively for over two decades.

In view of the agitation, security has been tightened to prevent any untoward incident in all the five districts, police said.

Rain, rain go away

Posted by Sinlung

By AMMU KANNAMPILLY

Cold and cloudy: Part of a cluster of hamlets at Mawsynram in the north-eastern Indian state of Meghalaya, in what is considered the 'wettest place on Earth'. -- AFP

What’s life like in the wettest place on Earth?
DEEP in India’s north-east, villagers use grass to sound-proof their huts from deafening rain, clouds are a familiar sight inside homes and a suitably rusted sign tells visitors they are in the “wettest place on Earth”.
Oddly enough, lifelong residents of Mawsynram, a small cluster of hamlets in Meghalaya state, have little idea that their scenic home holds a Guinness record for the highest average annual rainfall of 11,873mm.
“Really, this is the wettest place in the world? I didn’t know that,” says Bini Kynter, a great-grandmother who estimates she must be “nearly 100 years old”.
“The rain used to frighten me when I was a young girl, it used to make our lives hell. Today, people have it easy,” she says, wrapping a green tartan shawl tightly around her shoulders.
Meteorologists say Mawsynram’s location, close to Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal, is the reason the tiny cluster receives so much rain.
“What happens is that whenever any moisture gathers over the Bay of Bengal, it causes precipitation over Mawsynram, leading to a heavy, long monsoon season,” says Sunit Das of the Indian Meteorological Department.
Just 30 years ago, Mawsynram had no paved roads, no running water and no electricity, making its six-month long monsoon an insufferable experience for its mostly impoverished residents. Landslides still occur regularly, blocking the only paved road connecting the hillside hamlets. Rainwater still seeps into the mud huts occupied by some villagers. And, while most homes now have electricity, outages are commonplace.
Every winter, the people of Mawsynram spend months preparing for the wet season ahead, anticipating non-stop rain and no sunshine for several days at a time. They repair their battered roofs. They cut and hoard firewood – a source of light and fuel for cooking. They buy and store foodgrains, since few will venture out to shop during the wettest months between May and July.
The women make rain covers known as knups, using bamboo slivers, plastic sheets and broom grass to create a rain shield that resembles a turtle shell, meant to be worn on one’s head while being large enough to keep rain off one’s knees. The labour-intensive process of weaving a knup – each one takes at least an hour to complete – occupies the women of the village right through the rainy season, when they are cooped up indoors for months at a time.
Bamboo and broom grass – a delicate, fragrant, olive-coloured grass used to make Indian brooms – are among the chief plants grown in this rocky, hilly region. Broom grass is dipped in water, flattened using wooden blocks and finally dried on rooftops across Mawsynram. According to Prelian Pdah, a grandmother of nine, this makes the grass stronger and more likely to survive a downpour.
Pdah, 70, spends part of the winter and all of the monsoon season making bamboo baskets, brooms and knup that are bought by visiting businessmen who sell them around the state. “I don’t like the heavy rainfall, it’s boring to stay indoors all day. It’s annoying,” she says.
Although few Mawsynram residents seemed to know or care about their record-holder status, the right to the Guinness title has been hotly disputed by a nearby town, Cherrapunji, which used to lay claim to that honour. In sleepy Mawsynram, many find the record-setting monsoon downright depressing.
“There’s no sun, so if you don’t have electricity it’s very dark indoors, even during the day,” Moonstar Marbaniang, the pyjama-clad headman of Mawsynram says. Those who have second homes elsewhere flee to escape the season. Others catch up on their sleep, according to Marbaniang, whose first name suggests one of the more striking legacies of colonial rule in India’s north-east.
Historians say the past presence of British soldiers and missionaries in this region has seen many people name their children after random English words or famous historical figures, often with no knowledge of what they might mean. State capital Shillong’s former nickname as the “Scotland of the East” also goes some way to explain the popularity of tartan scarves and shawls, even in the most far-flung and under-developed villages of Meghalaya.
Somewhat fittingly for a state whose name means “the abode of the clouds” in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit, it is not unusual for clouds to drift through people’s homes in Mawsynram, leaving a wet film on their furniture.
The grass-covered roofs are meant to muffle the relentless drumming of the rain, but a heavy downpour will usually dislodge the grass to deafening effect.
“We have to talk a little louder to be heard during the monsoon,” 67-year-old Marbaniang says, his mischievous eyes sparkling.
When the monsoon finally ends, there are no parties to mark its exit. The rainy season simply gives way to the repair season, Marbaniang says.
“We don’t hold any celebration or festival to mark the end of the rain. We just start drying our clothes outside,” he says, flashing a toothless grin.
Despite enduring record amounts of rain, sanguine villagers say there is no other place they would rather live.
Marbaniang, whose children all live in Shillong, says: “I’ll never leave, this is my home, I was born here, I will die here.”
“Sure, it rains a lot, but we are used to it. We just wait it out.”

Meghalaya: ‘Maoist’ film show stopped

Posted by Sinlung

A college in Shillong, Meghalaya stopped a documentary film from being screened at its ongoing film festival alleging it contained content for Maoist propaganda. The film titled Red Ant Dream, though, was shown to select audience in another institute.

East Khasi Hills superintendent of police M Kharkrang denied banning of the film at Indie8, the first short film festival showcasing the works of filmmakers across northeast.

Shillong-based Tarun Bhartiya, editor and co-writer of the film said the police did not give any reasons for seeking to vet the film.

Garos demand statehood too

Posted by Sinlung

Rail blockade today as protests rear head in BTAD; ripples in Meghalaya with bifurcation call

ANDREW W. LYNGDOH AND COSMOS SANGMA

Shillong/Tura, Aug. 1: Telangana may be miles away but ripples of the decision to grant the region statehood are being felt in Meghalaya with Garo, Khasi and Jaintia organisations reinforcing their demands to bifurcate the 41-year-old state.

The Garo National Council (GNC) and the Garo Students’ Union (GSU) have been demanding a separate state for the Garos while the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) has been demanding a Khasi-Jaintia state.

GNC president Clifford R. Marak, who has been with the party for more than 40 years, has been advocating the bifurcation of Meghalaya on linguistic lines. The HSPDP, the oldest regional political outfit in the state, has been demanding the creation of a Khasi-Jaintia state on similar lines.

The militant Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) also claims that it is fighting for the creation of Garoland state. Although the GNC and the HSPDP have been making statehood a major plank during elections, the latter managed to win only four seats in the Assembly polls this year while the GNC won only one.

While no major movement has taken place to give meat to the demands, the GNC and the HSPDP have, over the years, been sending memoranda to the Centre. Nothing concrete has, however, emerged from it.

“I feel a Garo state should be created on linguistic lines. We have Mizoram for the Mizos, Nagaland for the Nagas and Assam for the Assamese. So why not a Garo state for the Garos?” Marak, who has been spearheading the Garo state demand since 1992, told The Telegraph. He said the size of the state does not really matter as his demand is based on linguistic lines. The legislator from Chokpot had met former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the demand and plans to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, too.

The Garo Hills State Movement Committee, formed in the last few years, has been organising public meetings across Garo hills to take the demand to the people.

HSPDP general secretary Enbin K. Raswai said unlike in Telangana, where the movement has been on for over 40 years, Meghalaya is yet to see a full-fledged movement for the creation of a Khasi-Jaintia or Garo state.“We have been going to the elections with Khasi-Jaintia state as one of the issues. But there is a lot of more work to be done.”

Former chief minister and veteran Congress leader Salseng C. Marak was sceptical about such demands. “Telangana is a different issue altogether. I do know how much the Centre will accept these demands because ours is a small state,” the sitting Resubelpara legislator said.

On whether the state Congress would take up the issue of bifurcating Meghalaya, he said it would be discussed, if required. “One voice will not help,” he added.

Khasi Students’ Union president Daniel Khyriem said, “There has been a strong demand for a Garo state. We feel if a separate state is granted it would be beneficial.”

Garo Students’ Union (GSU) president Tengsak G. Momin said, “They say the fight for Telangana state was 40 years long but what about us? Since 1974 the Garos have wanted a state of their own. Why were we left out?” He said if the fight is for separate ethnic identity, then why should the Garos not have Garoland?

“Over the years the struggle for statehood has witnessed many ups and downs but the fight has never died. It remains in the hearts and minds of each Garo,” Momin said.

The union plans to approach the Centre on the demand for Garoland and a meeting of all GSU units is scheduled for early this month.

There is a sizeable population of Garos in Khasi hills, Assam and Bangladesh. The GSU, which had earlier sought the inclusion of Garos from Assam and Khasi hills in “Garoland”, now appears to be content if given the existing five districts in Meghalaya.

The students union, however, made it clear that it would not work with the GNC. “We will not join hands with them (GNC) because their agenda is politics,” Momin said.