Article 371 & 6th Schedule are nothing but political traps: HNLC

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaFebruary 1, 2025

The proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) on Saturday said that the 6th Schedule and Article 371 are nothing more than political traps.

“The people of Hynniewtrep must awaken to a harsh reality: the 6th Schedule and Article 371 are nothing more than political traps—shackles painted gold, a cage made comfortable. They are carefully crafted deceptions designed to make us believe we have gained something, when in reality, we remain subjugated under a foreign system. These are not victories but political handcuffs wrapped in silk—meant to keep us content while our sovereignty remains stolen,” HNLC general secretary-cum-publicity secretary Sainkupar Nongtraw said in a statement issued here.

He said, :But we, the Hynniewtrep, must ask ourselves: Were we ever landless? From time immemorial, we have been owners of our land, our culture, and our destiny. If we were landless, then perhaps it would make sense to plead for better treatment under an imposed system. But that is not our reality. We are not seeking charity or privileges from a foreign power—we are asserting our inherent right as a nation.”

“The Government of India refuses to recognize our homeland, yet some celebrate the 6th Schedule, which fails to cover all Hynniewtrep areas—why should we be satisfied with partial control over our own land? Why demand Article 371 when the Assembly remains a coalition with Garos, Bengalis, and others, diluting our political strength? Why settle for an article for Meghalaya while ignoring the right to self-governance and self-determination of Hynniewtrep? To accept autonomy status or special status is to accept a decorated prison. The Indian State will make us feel important, but it will never let us be free. Only a fool mistakes golden chains for liberty,” Nongtraw stated.

He added, “Our history is clear—our traditional institutions were deliberately undermined. Bah JJM Nichols Roy, though a good Christian, was not a good statesman for our people. His colonial mindset led him to weaken our Syiemship, knowing that most of our Syiem were followers of Niam Tynrai. This was not an accident but a calculated political move to strip the Hynniewtrep of our independent governance. At that time, our leaders were divided—one faction led by Bah Joy, the other by the Federation of Khasi States (FKS). Today, those who continue to celebrate or demand the 6th Schedule or Article 371 are simply embracing a colonial lie, mistaking their chains for progress.”

Further Nongtraw said “In our land, our kings were reduced to mere chiefs, and the authority of our Syiem was relegated beneath the state and government, a clear example of the empire’s hypocrisy in sustaining its own monarchy while stripping others of their sovereignty.”

“When we retain our political status, the HNLC will establish a traditional council that will restore the Syiem to their rightful position as the head of state, reaffirming the sovereignty of our people and honoring our true leadership,” he said.

“The HNLC’s ideological stand is clear: we do not fight for an autonomous status or a special status—we fight for political status as a nation. We do not beg for better treatment; our movement is not about pleading for better conditions within oppression—it is about ending that oppression altogether. Limited self-rule is not self-determination. Our ancestors did not fight to live as guests or tenants in their own homeland,” Nongtraw concluded.