HCBA and SBA observe pen-down strike, meet Law Minister and warn protests will continue until Advocate General is removed
Shillong, September 1: The agitation by lawyers in Meghalaya against Advocate General Amit Kumar intensified on Monday, with members of the High Court of Meghalaya Bar Association (HCBA) and Shillong Bar Association (SBA) observing a pen-down strike and resolving not to appear for or represent Kumar before any court in the State.
The latest move marks a significant escalation in the legal fraternity’s demand that Kumar either resign voluntarily or be removed from office by the State Government.
A delegation of the two Bar associations also met Law Minister Lahkmen Rymbui at the Main Secretariat and urged him to place the matter before the Council of Ministers for an early decision.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, SBA Secretary T.L. Jyrwa and advocate Kishore Gautam said the associations had accepted the Law Minister’s invitation to discuss the continuing dispute.
The Bar leaders maintained that the power to appoint or remove the Advocate General rests with the State Government and said the Government could no longer remain silent in the face of sustained opposition from the legal fraternity.
“Our demand is unambiguous: he must either resign gracefully or be removed by the Government. There is no other demand,” they said.
The associations clarified that their resolution should not be termed a “boycott”. Instead, lawyers across Meghalaya would abstain from appearing for or representing the Advocate General before any court.
According to the lawyers, the decision followed extensive deliberations and came only after repeated representations, meetings and protests failed to produce any concrete response from the Government.
They acknowledged that abstaining from court work was an extraordinary step and was normally undertaken only as a last resort. However, they said the Government’s continued inaction had left them with no alternative but to intensify the agitation.
As part of Monday’s protest, lawyers observed a pen-down strike to press for action on their demand.
The association leaders also expressed disappointment that no tangible action had been taken despite nearly 1,000 lawyers reportedly participating in an earlier protest rally.
“The Government cannot take the legal fraternity lightly after such a large number of lawyers joined the protest,” they said.
The lawyers argued that the Advocate General should have stepped down in view of the widespread opposition among members of the Bar and questioned why he continued to remain in office despite repeated calls for his resignation.
The first phase of the agitation saw the HCBA and SBA organise a protest march from Kiang Nangbah Point to the Main Secretariat before returning to the Shillong Bar Association office. Lawyers carried placards and raised slogans demanding Kumar’s removal.
The associations said they had submitted a written representation to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on August 7 but had not received a satisfactory response.
They also criticised the Chief Minister’s public defence of Kumar, including his reported remarks highlighting the Advocate General’s role in representing the State Government in numerous cases before various courts.
On August 29, a delegation comprising senior advocate V.K. Jindal, SBA Secretary T.L. Jyrwa and advocate Kishore Gautam met Governor C.H. Vijayashankar at Lok Bhavan and submitted a memorandum seeking his intervention.
According to the Bar leaders, the Governor heard their grievances and explained the constitutional limitations of his office. He nevertheless assured them that the memorandum would be examined and forwarded to the appropriate authority for consideration.
The HCBA and SBA warned that their agitation would continue and could be intensified further unless the State Government takes a clear and decisive stand on their demand for the removal of Advocate General Amit Kumar.
