Shillong: The Hynñiewtrep Youths’ Council (HYC) on Wednesday urged Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik to impress upon the Central government to notify the “Khasi Indigenous Faith” as one of the minority communities in India.
The Council said that there are nearly 3 lakh people from the Khasi and Jaintia communities residing in Meghalaya, Assam and other parts of the country, who are still practicing and professing the religion of “Indigenous Faith” or popularly known as “Niam Tynrai- Niam tre” in the country.
According to HYC, the Government of India has notified six religious communities i.e. Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis, Christians and Jains as religious minorities in India under Section 2 (c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.
“As per our knowledge and information the people who still belonged the “Indigenous Faith” are about 3 lakhs all over India and also are economically and socially backward which requires more assistance and protection from the Government of India and respective State Governments,” HYC president Robertjune Kharjahrin and general secretary Roy Kupar Synrem stated in their memorandum to Malik.
“.. in order to raise their level of education and participation in employment, skill and entrepreneurship development and reducing deficiencies in civic amenities and infrastructure and also to allow them to enjoy the rights and privileges under the Constitution of India,” the memorandum stated.
Moreover, the HYC also requested the Governor to impress upon the Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, to create a separate form for classification of these people practicing “Indigenous Faith” and not to be included in “Other Religions” so that the population of the persons professing the above-stated Religion will be clear in the future.
The HYC said the Governor has assured to intervene and take it up with the Union Home Ministry.
