‘Garos being reduced to a minority in
plain belt areas’
TURA: The Garo Students’ Union (GSU), Phulbari Regional Unit has claimed that the Garo people are becoming a minority in the plain belt areas of Garo Hills due to the large scale influx of outsiders.
While stating that the main reason for the influx of outsiders into Garo Hills was the capability of even non-indigenous people to vote and contest elections the GSU president added that around 2000-3000 illegal migrants have been entering into Garo Hills during the flood season every year.
“Over 2000 illegal migrants have been entering into Garo Hills every year during the flood season. Out of those, 60 per cent will attempt to permanently stay in the state while the remaining 40 per cent either enter Assam or go back to Bangladesh,” the GSU president said.
The GSU also alleged the susceptibility of infiltration gates to bribes adding that the failure of the government machineries to aggressively deal with illegal migration was endangering the very existence of the Garo people.