TURA: Reacting to a news report that minority tribals had demanded creation of an autonomous district council, minority tribal bodies like the Meghalaya Koch Association, All Bodo Students’ Union, All Rabha Students’ Union, Meghalaya Rabha Jatio Sewa Sangha, All Bodo Students’ Union, Bodo Sahitya Sabha and Meghalaya State Committee, Bodo Sahitya Sabha have jointly stated that they have not made such a demand.
“We the representatives of Hajongs, Rabhas, Kochs, Bodo-Kacharis and Manns have not made any such demand.
In fact, we have sought for creation of an autonomous regional council under the purview of Paragraph 1(2) of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India for our identity — social, economic, cultural, political and the like within the GHADC, including the strengthening of several issues concerning us following the proposed amendment of the Sixth Schedule,” the organisations said.
Stating that certain individuals had claimed them to be sub-tribes, the representatives asserted that they were indigenous scheduled tribes of the state who have their own distinct language, culture and traditions since time immemorial.
“We are bonafide residents of the region even before the creation of the GHADC in 1952 and the state of Meghalaya in 1972. We are always in favour of greater interests of Garo Hills and Meghalaya in general.
We have even been supporting the demand for Garoland since it began,” the organisations said.
