Traditional heads of the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) have called for greater legal powers and authority to safeguard the region’s environment and strengthen customary governance systems. The demand emerged from a first-of-its-kind seminar on Daloiship and Environmental Conservation, held at Thomas Jones Synod College on April 10 where Dalois and Sirdars from across the Jaintia Hills convened on a single platform to deliberate on ecological challenges and traditional stewardship.
Organised in collaboration with Leiden University, JHADC, Earthtree Enviro Ltd, and academic institutions, the seminar saw participation from 14 of the 18 Dalois, along with both Sirdars, reflecting a broad-based consensus among traditional leadership. A key outcome of the discussions was a collective push to empower traditional institutions, with participants stressing that existing legal frameworks need strengthening to enable effective environmental protection amid rising ecological pressures.
Chief Guest Hambertus Nongtdu highlighted that the Council is already moving towards amending the 2015 Act governing traditional institutions, with a committee in place to review provisions. He expressed hope that inputs from the seminar would shape policy reforms.