By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Like many other states, the momentum for demanding a separate state “Garoland ” is picking up its pace in Garo Hills with NGOs, political parties and other stakeholders now turning out to be more committed than ever to achieve a separate state.
The Shillong Times on Sunday spoke to people from Garo Hills and sought their response to the proposed Garo land.
Garo National Council MLA Clifford Marak while giving his thoughts on the demand said that movement for the separate started long way back in 1992 and the matter was also taken up with the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
“If Pondicherry can get a separate state why can’t we get a state of our own,” he said.
Reacting to a query, he said that Garo Hills is economically viable and has got sufficient resources like Khasi and Jaintia Hills to survive if it becomes a full-fledged state.
Clifford Marak also said that they will soon adopt resolution to take up the matter with the Union Government.
Rakkan Sangma, who is the chairman of the United Workers Forum of Garo Hills said, “As a Garo separate state is our birth right and the demand is under the ambit of the constitution.”
He was also of the view that the legislators should adopt a resolution in the Assembly for a separate state even as he said that environment in the state should not be turned into a war like situation like other states where violence erupted following the demand for a separate state.
The process of demanding separate state should be peaceful,” Rakkan Sangma told The Shillong Times.
On the other hand, National People’s Party (NPP) MLA James Sangma also held a view that the a democracy is applicable in its true sense when people wants something.
“If people want democracy that is how a democracy should function,” James Sangma said.
According to Sangma, it is a very mutually beneficial situation that people are demanding for a separate Khasi and Garo state.
James Sangma also took a dig at the statement of the Chief Minister stating that the Chief Minister’s statement implies that he is against the formation of Garo Hills.