Santipur: Making a pitch for the creation of the Garo Autonomous Council (GAC) as well as the dissolution of the Garo Development Council (GDC), the Garo National Council (GNC) and the Garo Women Council jointly organised a public meeting at GNC Kamrup district office at Santipur in Chaygaon in Assam’s Kamrup district on Wednesday.
The meeting was presided over by president of the Garo National Council Enindra U. Marak.
The public meeting, which was organised by the All Garo NGOs of Assam, demanded creation of Garo Autonomous Council (GAC), dissolution of the Garo Development Council (GDC), and immediate solution to the Assam-Meghalaya border dispute.
Members and leaders from Garo Youth Council (Assam), All Assam Garo Gaonburha Association, Garo Mothers’ Union (Assam), Garo Students’ Union (Kamrup), A’Chik Border Association, Garo Nation Union (Assam) and Garos took part in the protest meeting.
Enindra U. Marak, president of the Garo National Council, said, ” Various Garo organisations of Assam have strongly opposed the inclusions of Garo villages in Meghalaya. There are more than 21 Garo villages that had been already listed, but they never wanted to be part of Meghalaya. But some brokers from both the sides are conspiring to go to Meghalaya by alluring people of some govt schemes or projects and also for some personal benefits from the Meghalaya govt.”
“So, we strongly demand the Assam government to identify those miscreants and arrest them immediately. There are some political leaders who are conspiring to divide the Garo people of Assam, especially in Boko and Chaygaon constituency, to fulfill their political hopes and aspirations. But Garo people will never support and allow them to do so. We request Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma to take the matter seriously and need more further discussion on it.”
Since inception, various Garo organisations have strongly opposed the creation of the Garo Development Council (GDC) for the Garos of the state. The Garo organisations have only been demanding the creation of the Garo Autonomous Council (GAC) since 2010 within the framework of the Indian Constitution, he added.
“Lt. Tarun Gogoi-led Congress govt repeatedly offered the Garo Development Council (GDC) to us, but we refused to accept the offer after knowing that GDC is meaningless, powerless and unconstitutional,” the GNC President said.
Marak alleged that unfortunately some self-style Garo leaders of the United Garo Autonomous Council Movement Committee (UGACMC) had accepted the Garo Development Council and have destroyed the long-standing dream and demand for the Garo Autonomous Council.
“Our first and last demand is Garo Autonomous Council and we will not accept anything other than the GAC for the Garos of Assam,” he added.
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