When Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong issued a veiled threat today to the poor Shillong Sikhs residing in the Punjabi lane area, also known as Sweepers’ Colony, the Harijan Panchayat Committee retaliated saying that they will not be cowed down with unlawful threats.  This leader, who heads the government-formed High-level Committee, has been going hammer and tongs against the poor Shillong Sikhs since the last one year and has issued umpteen statements against the poor Sikhs and challenged all documentation in their favour. 

HARIJAN Panchayat Committee of the Shillong Sikhs resident in Punjabi lane for the last 200 years categorically rejected the suggestion of the Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong who, through a media briefing has asked  Punjabi and Sikh settlers to consider shifting on their own from the Sweeper’s Colony.

In a hard-hitting statement, the President of the Committee Billu Singh said, “It is shocking to read that he has said that the residents of Harijan Colony must themselves leave the place.” This is a veiled polite threat and we reject it in toto.  We will not be cowed down like this. We are citizens of the state for the last two centuries and we cannot be bullied. We have legitimate rights and we will contest for those rights.

Militant-supported syllad.com today reported the statement of the State’s Deputy Chief Minister saying, “It is good that they (illegal settlers) shift by themselves. I request those who do not have proper papers it is good to leave the place and find out alternatives. If you have a better place please shift if you don’t have a better place be ready to have a better place or shift from that place.”

Speaking to The World Sikh News Gurjit Singh said, “The Deputy CM is misleading the people of the state by quoting only one partial order of the High Court. The Deputy Chief Minister must know that the case is far from over.  The legal battle is far from over. The order of February 2019 still stands and as the government of Meghalaya has gone in appeal, it has been listed for 22 August 2019.”

“The Government of Meghalaya has to contend another case filed by Billu Singh wherein the eviction (called inventorisation, seeking documentation of residency) notices pasted on 31 May have been challenged. This too would come up on 22 August. 2019,” he added.

“It is good that they (illegal settlers) shift by themselves. I request those who do not have proper papers it is good to leave the place and find out alternatives. If you have a better place please shift if you don’t have a better place be ready to have a better place or shift from that place.” 

Prestone Tyngson, Deputy CM, Meghalaya

Gurjeet Singh who participated in a meeting which the Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal had with the Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma in New Delhi a few days back, said,  “During the Delhi meeting between Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and the Chief Minister of Meghalaya Conrad Sangma, the Deputy Chief Minister preferred to stay away as he could not face truth.”

The Harijan Panchayat Committee and the City Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee while categorically rejecting the government’s High-Level Committee, have stated that the HLC has been working in a partisan manner without taking the viewpoint of the affected people of the Punjabi lane.

Billu Singh in a strong note mentioned in the press statement that, “We reject the High-Level Committee and we will reject all the decisions that the HLC takes tomorrow or in future. The HLC has no locus-standi and is working only to evict the poor Sikh residents of Punjabi colony who are living here for the last 200 years and who have immensely served the people of the state.”

It may be noted that the Deputy CM is taking refuge behind a Meghalaya High Court which is not yet a final order. The Meghalaya High Court in its order passed on June 28, while hearing a review petition filed by the state government on the issue had stated: “However, it is directed that the occupants/residents of the concerned area shall cooperate in furnishing the requisite information to the State.” The last line of the order is significant where the judge says that “for further considerations to come up on 28.08.2019.” The Deputy CM is only citing that part which suits the government and the Shillong Municipal Board.

The World Sikh News understands that the order passed by the High Court of Meghalaya is untenable because when an appeal is under consideration, the High Court cannot pass an order on the review petition.  It is also learnt that the counsels of the Harijan Panchayat Committee are contemplating to seek a modification of the order which the Deputy CM is touting about.  The counsels have also pointed out that the very notice which is part of the petition is also to be taken up by the court on 22 August 2019.

“We reject the High-Level Committee and we will reject all the decisions that the HLC takes tomorrow or in future. The HLC has no locus-standi and is working only to evict the poor Sikh residents of Punjabi colony who are living here for the last 200 years and who have immensely served the people of the state.”

Billu Singh, President, Harijan Panchayat Committee, Shillong

Gurjit Singh further pointed out that, “The Deputy Chief Minister and the Shillong Municipal Board have failed to realise that in the contempt order which our counsels did not press, the Court has given us the privilege to file for contempt again should the SMB or the HLC initiate any further illegal proceedings. Moreover, in the reply of the Contempt application, the SMB or the government of Meghalaya has not responded to the fourth petitioner’s case wherein a resident has been asked to vacate her residence in the Harijan Colony.”

The Sikh world has to take a clear note that the Government is hell-bent to claim the land as their own and throw out the Sikhs from their habitat. This leader of the State has many a time condemned the interest shown by Sikh leadership and Punjab government leadership. He repeated this yesterday also. Much more needs to be done at this stage to save the life and habitat of the poor Shillong Sikhs.

All the details and documentation of the families who are residents of Harijan Colony that the Shillong Municipal Board requires is part of the petition that was filed in 2018. In June 2018, the Shillong Municipal Board has already conducted the inventory process. The details of families working with SMB and those working with other State and Union governments have been published many times through public notices in newspapers.  The declaration of 2008 by the Syiem of Milleium, which has recognised our presence and settlement and Pattas have been given to various institutions, is also part of the petition.

The Sikh world has to take a clear note that the Government is hell-bent to claim the land as their own and throw out the Sikhs from their habitat. This leader of the State has many a time condemned the interest shown by Sikh leadership and Punjab government leadership. He repeated this yesterday also. Much more needs to be done at this stage to save the life and habitat of the poor Shillong Sikhs. 

We have not been able to live our normal lives for decades, and the last year has been a hell of a rollercoaster ride in our lives, said Gurjit Singh. How many times will the SMB and HLC harass us and ask for documents of ownership?  The HLC says that they are only advisory and they need not act upon any aspect, then why they are acting so immensely to dispossess the local residents of Punjabi Colony?

The Harijan Panchayat Committee is clear that the neither the Shillong Municipal Board nor any department of the Government of Meghalaya has any document to prove that they are the legal owners of the land on which the poor residents live.

“There are many Commissions and that is their view only but it is up to the state government (to decide).”

Prestone Tyngsong, Deputy CM Meghalaya, rubbishing the suggestion of the National Safai Karamchari Commission against relocation of Shillong Sikhs.

Just two days ago, Jagadish Heramani -a member of the National Commission for Minorities, during his visit to Shillong, categorically told the media that the Commission is against the relocation of the Shillong Sikhs and that the Commission would formally advise the government of Meghalaya in this regard. The Deputy Chief Minister mocked at the above suggestion and stated, “There are many Commissions and that is their view only but it is up to the state government (to decide).” Reacting to this, Gurjit Singh said, “This is an insult of the Commission and the Harijan Panchayat Committee will represent to the Commission accordingly.”

The Deputy CM has reportedly stated to the media that, “Time and again I have requested them do not engage yourself by going here and there as the government is your protector and that government is not your enemy.” If you read between the lines, this is a veiled threat.

Speaking for the residents, Gurjit Singh said, “The HLC and the Deputy CM has been acting like an enemy and issuing threats every now and then through the media.”

The Deputy CM in his statement has further said that had these Sikhs be living in other states, they would have been evicted by now. What the Deputy CM has failed to note that had it been any other state, the Harijan Colony would have long back been recognised as belonging to the settlers.

Nailing all frivolous arguments of the Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, the Harijan Panchayat has unambiguously stated,  “It is thus clear that the only vision of the departments is to get the long residing residents of Bara Bazaar dispossessed and the Sweepers colony be vacated without any due procedure of law. The Harijan Panchayat Committee is committed to protect and fight for its legitimate rights till its last breath.”