GUWAHATI: Garo organisations of Goalpara and Kamrup districts of Assam have decided to mobilise support from students of Northeast in New Delhi for creation of an autonomous council for the community in the state.
Representatives of the organisations comprising Garo National Council (GNC), Garo National Union (GNU), Garo Gaon Bura Santha, Garo Sahitya Sabha, Garo Mahila Parishad, Youth Parishad and All Achik Youth Federation among others will head to the national capital later this month to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister, Rajnath Singh, Union minister of state for home affairs, Kiren Rijiju besides home ministry officials to press for their demand to create a separate council for Garos in Assam.
“We have had to defer the earlier plan of going to Delhi to meet the Prime Minister and Union home ministry officials in the second week of October to the probably the last week of the month. Apart from this, our agenda is also to mobilise support from Northeast students living there and we will be staging a demonstration along with them at the national capital so that we are heard there,” GNC Assam state zone president, Thengsil Sangma told The Shillong Times on Sunday.
The organisations had staged a public rally in the Dudhnoi area in the last week of September to chalk out their future course of action.
“The decision to knock on the doors of the Centre was prompted by the state government’s indifferent approach to our demand for an autonomous council which the need of the hour as the community has been lagging behind in all fields despite being one of the oldest indigenous tribes of the Northeast,” Sangma said.
He reiterated that if the state government could create five autonomous councils in six Upper Assam districts since 1995, it surely could do the same for the Garos.
“Our demand for an autonomous council is within the framework of the Indian Constitution and is therefore legitimate,” he said.
“We will submit memoranda to the MHA officials in Delhi. If there is no response thereafter, we will be compelled to intensify our agitation in the state, including disruption of communication of all forms in the two districts of Assam,” he added.