TURA: One of the oldest organisations in Garo Hills that was formed fifty years ago by a group of Garo graduates with a passion to impart education for all sections of society celebrated its golden jubilee in Tura on Saturday.
The Garo Graduates’ Union was formed by a group of intellectuals and educationists in the month of June 1966 and their first initiative was to set up a Guru Training School for students in Classes VII to X who paid a token fee of ten rupees while the teachers were paid twenty rupees a month.
One year later, in 1967, the union members established a tutorial class which gradually transformed into a night school for students many of whom were unable to attend to the day schools for various reasons.
Hailing the dedicated services of the members of the GGU in the line of education, Dadenggre MLA James Pangsang K Sangma said that it was a gigantic challenge for the union which was overcome with years through sheer hard work and perseverance.
“Many organisations have come up over the years but the Garo Graduates Union can be termed as one of the most prestigious for its dedicated services to society and the student community,” said James K Sangma while inaugurating the golden jubilee celebrations at the district auditorium.
He also recalled his Late father P A Sangma’s active participation in the Garo Graduates Union as a former president and secretary.
“The Indian government through SSA and Mid-Day Meal programmes is now giving a chance to school dropouts to return to class rooms and complete their education and also going on mass enrollment drives but the GGU began such a programme way back in 1966 when they started their educational programmes including the running of a night school, distributing free uniforms and books,” said James Sangma and lamented that Meghalaya was yet to have an education policy.
He complimented the union for their work and expressed astonishment as to how they were successfully able to continue with the running of their schools for a meager Rs 3500 as annual fees from students.
“We need to instill the spirit of hard work and dedication among our young boys and girls because we are now living in an era of extreme competition. Though we are having the tribal quota as yet, even there is competition within the quota also,” warned James Sangma.
Some of the senior GGU members and educationists of yesteryears, Clearson K Sangma and John Piller K Marak also addressed the gathering recalling the challenges they faced in the nascent years of the union’s formation.
The senior members of the GGU were also felicitated on the occasion and a souvenir of the union was released by the chief guest during the celebrations.