Meghalaya’s Minority Tribes Seek Governor’s Intervention for Creation of Separate Regional Council

A committee representing five “unrepresented tribes” in Meghalaya on Wednesday sought the intervention of Governor C.H.Vijayashankar for creation of a Regional Council for Minority Tribal Communities.

“We, the Minority Scheduled Tribes of Meghalaya, want to live with prosperity

and dignity like other advanced communities in the state,” the Regional Council Demand Committee (RCDC), representing the minority tribes - the Hajong, Koch, Rabha, Boro and Mann - stated in a memorandum submitted to Vijayshankar.

RCDC Chairman Kapin Chandra Boro said that the demand of the minor tribes is deeply rooted in constitutional provisions and within the legal framework.

“We have requested the Governor to utilise powers conferred under Articles 244(2) and 275(1) of the Constitution to create the Regional Council,” Boro said, citing the constitutional provisions under the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India and the communities’ genuine grievances.

“We strongly demand the creation of a Regional Council because the Council will be our last resort to survive and grow,” the former Congress minister said.

The proposed Regional Council area covers approximately 1,987 sq. km, with a population of around 1,97,718 minority tribals.

The memorandum, also endorsed by the Meghalaya Indigenous Minority Tribals’ Forum (MIMTF), highlights the "historical neglect and marginalisation" of these communities, citing instances of injustice, discrimination, and exploitation.

Despite being indigenous to the state, Boro said these minor tribes have remained backward in education, economy, and politics compared to the major tribes of Meghalaya.

Moreover, the RCDC Chairman said that the current reservation quota is heavily skewed in favor of the Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia tribes, who have been allocated 80 percent of the quota, leaving only 5 percent for minority tribes, Scheduled Castes, and other non-indigenous tribes.

“This is equivalent to no reservation for the above-mentioned Minority Scheduled Tribes whose total population is nearly 3 Lakhs in the State,” he said, adding that the implementation of the Reservation Roster policy from 2025 is expected to further exacerbate the situation, making it even more difficult for minority tribes to secure government jobs.

The RCDC also claimed that the delimitation of assembly constituencies in 2013 was done in a way that reduced minority tribal areas to minority status, resulting in zero representation in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly since then.

“It is really unfortunate that when Muslims have two MLAs in the Meghalaya Assembly, we the Minority Schedule Tribes do not have even a single MLA,” Boro said, urging the Governor to consider their request and take necessary action to address the historical injustices faced by these communities.