TURA: Peeved by the unending antecedents of former militant leader of ANVC-B, Bernard Rimpu N Marak, who is allegedly claiming nokmaship of the Chambugong Mahari’s Danakgre A’king lands in Tura, the male elders of the Chambugong clan have come together and formed an association to demand the arrest of Bernard Marak and the removal of Danakgre Chambugong Nokma Enilla Ch Marak for violating the rules of the clan by aligning with the former rebel leader.
A procession through the main town in Tura is scheduled for September 22.
The issue had snowballed into a major controversy with the general public raising a hue and cry as the self-procaimed nokma had tried to run a parallel administration asking people to bring in their land pattas for scrutiny in his office even though it is the GHADC which issues and cancels land pattas.
The district administration finally stepped in and sealed the office of the Tura town nokma and issued a stern warning to Bernard.
The newly formed ‘All Garo Hills Chambugong Chra Association’, with Tura as its headquarters, will be empowered to look into the disputes of the Mahari/Clan and settle the matter amicably.
In Garo customary laws, the Chras (male members) of the clan play a vital role in settling disputes of the family and the clan as a whole.
Former GHADC chairman and ex-MDC Cary Ch Marak has been selected as the president of the new association with thirteen other Chra elders as office-bearers of the association.
The new association together with the parent organizations, All Garo Hills Chambugong Mahari Association and Tura Chambugong Mahari Association, held another meeting in which it was unanimously agreed to hold a procession at Tura from the district auditorium to the office of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) demanding the arrest of Bernard and removal of Enilla. The rally will be led by the newly elected members of the association including Bensing Ch Marak and Brenzield Ch Marak as vice presidents, Emphul Ch Marak (secretary general), Sengbat Ch Marak and Robson Ch Marak as joint secretaries, Andresh Ch Marak and Dardy G Ch Marak as organizing secretaries, Audithson Ch Marak as accountant and treasurer, with Novembirth Ch Marak, Dilip Ch Marak, Sengkam Ch Marak, Saljrang Ch Marak and Kaiser Bappu Ch Marak as executive members.
