Shillong, June 2: Civil society groups in Meghalaya have opposed land acquisition for at least two major projects in recent times in an apparent bid to protect the close-knit relationship people of the state share with their land.

Their resistance to land procurement for the New Shillong Township in and around Mawdiangdiang and the Umngot hydel project in East Khasi Hills, among others, is in keeping with this age-old relationship.

That land and the people’s identity share a close-knit relationship is something that has been known since ages. For Meghalaya, where a majority of the land belongs to the community, this relationship carries a lot of weight indeed.

Meghalaya controls its land usage and transfer processes through the Meghalaya Transfer of Land (Regulation) Act, 1971, which regulates transfer of land from a tribal to a non-tribal. The act has been the sole armour of the indigenous people against alienation of tribal land.

The land transfer mechanism is designed to protect indigenous customs and preserve nature while incorporating modern transfer procedures followed all over the country. The act, however, does not apply to areas falling under European Ward in Shillong where even non-tribals are allowed to buy property, including land, if a competent authority allows the transfer.

In the Khasi hills, most of the land belongs to the community. According to Khasi customs, land can be classified into broad categories, including ri raid or land held by the community under a syiem (chief), ri lyngdoh or land held by the lyngdoh (priest), ri shnong or land held by the village council, ri kynti or private land, law kyntang or sacred forest and law adong or prohibited forest for use of the village.

Local customs prohibit people from buying or selling ri lyngdoh, ri shnong, ri raid, law kyntang and law adong plots. The intricate land tenure system has also been a reason for delays in acquiring land for projects.

Over the years, the act has come under stress and strain forcing the government, in April 2011, to put on hold any land transfer proposals to non-tribal entities in the state.

In its recent presentation given to the Planning Commission, the state government has highlighted that during the preparation of the Shillong Master Plan 1991-2011, it was observed that the holding capacity of the existing city had almost reached a saturation level.

In order to absorb two lakh additional future population, prevent undesirable development in already-congested city limits and create a new planned environment, establishment of a new township became a necessity.

The masterplan envisaged setting up of New Shillong Township near Mawdiangdiang covering an area of 20.3sqkm within the Greater Shillong Master Plan area, the government had stated. The estimated cost for infrastructure construction at the township is Rs 1,250 crore (at 2009-10 prices).

Recently, pressure groups and some traditional heads have opposed a government proposal to acquire land in certain villages for expanding the township.

The groups had also sent a petition to Union tribal affairs minister V. Kishore Chandra Deo and sought his intervention while appealing him to halt acquisition of land belonging to the raid (community) in the East Khasi Hills.

There was opposition after the government expressed its intention of acquiring 2,000 acres of land in areas near the township. The groups are of the view that land belonging to the raid has forest cover which provides livelihood to the people living in these areas. According to them, the government intends to acquire 62,84,153.05 sq metres of land in Umsohlang-Umtung, Nongkharai-Synrem, Jongksih and Mawpdang and another 9,65,173.23 sq metres of land in Wahskheh.

Recently, in Umsawar village under Mawkynrew block in East Khasi Hills, villagers protested against a move by the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) to build a dam on Umngot river for the 240MW hydel power project.

“We will not part with our land, the land is our lifeblood. If we sell it, we will die,” Phrang Suting, sordar (chief) of Umsawar village, said. The decision, he said, had also been conveyed to the corporation during a public hearing held last year.

The main reason for opposing the project is that cultivable land will be submerged if the project comes up.