The Voice of the People Party (VPP) on Wednesday strongly reacted to Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma’s remarks over the party’s position on the participation of traditional institutions in land-related matters.
VPP president and Nongkrem MLA Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit rejected the Chief Minister’s allegation that the VPP-led Executive Committee of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) was undermining or taking away the powers of traditional institutions.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Important points readers should notice.
Issue/Event: VPP rejects the Chief Minister's criticism over the KHADC land law.
Location: Shillong, Meghalaya.
Authority/Organisation: Voice of the People Party and Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council.
Action Taken: VPP president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit defended the removal of the consultation requirement and the fixing of land-sale limits.
Impact: The dispute has intensified the debate over community land protection and the role of traditional institutions in land governance.
Basaiawmoit said the KHADC Land Act was introduced to regulate and manage community land, particularly amid concerns over the increasing sale and conversion of community land across the district.
According to Basaiawmoit, implementation of the legislation had been delayed because of a provision requiring consultation with traditional institutions before a limit on land sales could be fixed. He said traditional heads initially did not come forward for discussions, prompting the Council to remove the consultation requirement so that the legislation could be implemented.
Basaiawmoit further said that several Himas subsequently held discussions with the District Council on the issue. However, he maintained that the Council eventually proceeded to fix the land-sale limit on its own. He rejected the suggestion that the move amounted to removing the powers of traditional institutions, arguing that the objective was to ensure that the land law could become operational and prevent large-scale alienation of community land.
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
The controversy raises a key question over the balance between statutory land regulation and the customary authority of traditional institutions. The outcome could influence how community land is protected and how future land-sale decisions are taken across the Khasi Hills.
The VPP leader also claimed that the decision had received considerable support from residents and subjects of various Himas and villages. The latest remarks come after Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma criticised the KHADC's approach during the Meghalaya Assembly proceedings on Tuesday.
Sangma had argued that the KHADC Regulation and Registration of Land (Amendment) Bill, 2026, seeks to remove a provision requiring prior consultation with traditional institutions, including Dorbar Shnongs, Dorbar Raids and Dorbar Himas. The Chief Minister said community consultation was important in land-related decisions and questioned the VPP's position, arguing that the same principle should also be followed by the VPP-led KHADC.
Sangma maintained that traditional institutions serve as important checks and balances in the region's customary system and urged the KHADC to ensure their participation in land-related matters. The dispute therefore centres on a broader question of how land regulation should be balanced with the traditional role of Dorbar Shnongs, Dorbar Raids and Dorbar Himas.
The KHADC has maintained that land-sale limits are necessary to prevent community land from being increasingly converted into private holdings. Earlier discussions around the amendment also focused on establishing clear ceilings for different categories of land use.
The KHADC's official records list the KHAD (Regulation and Administration of Land) Act, 2021 among its existing legislation.
With both sides defending their respective positions, the controversy is likely to remain focused on whether removing the consultation requirement strengthens the implementation of land safeguards or weakens the institutional role of traditional authorities.
