Residents of Bakur village slams JHADC inaction against headman’s involvement in assaulting woman

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaAugust 12, 2020

Residents of a village in West Jaintia Hills have slammed the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) for its failure to take action against the “unlawful activities” of the headman and his executive committee.

Over 237 residents have participated in the signature campaign demanding the immediate removal of the incumbent headman of Bakur village, Daniel Khongsit and secretary D Donstand Khonglah for their involvement in the brutal assault of a woman, earlier this year.  

It may be mentioned here that two persons were so far arrested for allegedly assaulting and tonsuring a 29 year old woman of Bakur village along the international border with Bangladesh. The incident had taken place on May 31.

The residents also submitted a petition to the JHADC chief executive committee (CEM), Thombor Shiwat on August 10, requesting for his intervention into the need to suspend the functioning of the present executive committee of the dorbar shnong.

Binora Sohklet, one of the petitioners however said that on following up the matter, they were surprised to learn that the petition submitted to the JHADC chief was forwarded to the EM in-charge Elaka and the Administrative Officer, who instead sat on the same without taking any action.

She said the question arises as to how an accused person be allowed to run the day to day affairs of the dorbar shnong when majority of the residents particularly the youth have totally lost their confidence in the headman for his criminal acts.

Khongsit is also the president of the Synjuk Ki Rangbah Shnong War Jaintia. Condemning the Dolloi of Elaka Nongtalang, Sohklet said that the petitioners also suspect that politicians/bureaucrats backup into the failure of the JHADC to take action on this matter.

“However, we strongly demand the suspension of the current executive committee of the village and conduct of an election for a new headman by complying to protocols issued by the government to avoid any untowards incident. If there is any escalation on this matter, the residents of the village should not be held responsible,” Sohklet said.