HITO Raises Objections to USTM’s Support for Assam’s Evicted Children

Bongaigaon Times: Shillong : 29th July 2025
The Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organization (HITO) has come out strongly against the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya’s (USTM) ‘Mission Rehabilitation Education’ an initiative to provide educational support to children from evicted families in Assam.

While acknowledging the humanitarian intent behind the programme, HITO president Donbok Dkhar raised concerns about its broader implications. In a letter to USTM Chancellor Mahbubul Hoque, Dkhar stated that the children in question belong to a group whose legal residency and nationality remain uncertain, and described them as “illegal immigrants” with no rightful claim to domicile in Meghalaya or India.

Dkhar warned that enrolling such children into the state’s education system could lead to long-term consequences, such as future claims for residency, certificates, and even political rights potentially impacting the rights of Meghalaya’s indigenous population. He called this a dangerous precedent that risks weakening the state’s demographic structure.

He also flagged potential national security concerns, citing reports of infiltration along the India-Bangladesh border and alleged links to foreign intelligence activity. Dkhar argued that institutions in the Northeast must be especially cautious in light of these developments.

“This is not about opposing child welfare,” Dkhar clarified, but about resisting what he described as the "normalisation of illegality" in the name of charity. He added that HITO’s stand is rooted in safeguarding Meghalaya’s land, people, and constitutional protections under the Sixth Schedule.

He urged USTM to reconsider the move and maintain its positive contribution to higher education in the state without compromising its integrity or demographic balance.

Sannya Sangma,
Bongaigaon Times