Shillong (Meghalaya), Feb 27: In a scathing rebuke, the Jaiñtia National Council (JNC) has excoriated MLA Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit for his egregious erasure of the Jaiñtia identity from the state’s reservation policy. The JNC’s fiery condemnation underscores the deep-seated frustration and indignation among the Jaiñtia community, who refuse to be reduced to a mere whisper in the corridors of power.
With precision and unequivocal clarity, the JNC dismantishes Basaiawmoit’s statement as a cynical exercise in political expediency, designed to obliterate the distinct identity of the Jaiñtia people. The council’s resolute stance is bolstered by the Constitution of India, which unequivocally recognizes “Khasi” and “Jaintia” as distinct tribal communities – a fact that Basaiawmoit’s remarks brazenly disregard.
The JNC’s press statement is a clarion call to action, urging all stakeholders to reject this attempted erasure and ensure that the Jaiñtia people are not relegated to the periphery of Meghalaya’s policy discourse. As the council’s General Secretary, Wanshwa Suting, declares, “We see it. We name it. And we reject it”.
