SHILLONG: The United Garo Autonomous Council Movement Committee (UGACMC) on Tuesday met Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal with regard to the creation of Garo Autonomous Council in Assam on satellite basis.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the organisation said that Garo people are the second largest ethnic tribe after the Bodo community in Assam and has the largest tribe in the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC) outnumbering the number of the Rabha community itself.
“Garo people have their own culture, language and identity in which they follow a matrilineal family pattern whereas the Rabhas follow a patrilineal family pattern,” the statement said. The UGACMC told the chief minister that fulfilling the demand of a separate garo autonomous council in Assam can address the aspirations of the community in the state where they want to preserve their unique identity, adding “the schedule tribe status for the Garo people living in the plain district of Assam was granted only in 2003, since then various Garo organisations have been demanding for grant of separate Autonomous Council.
“The Garo areas have been the most neglected part of Assam by successive governments. The Garo people of Assam have been receiving step motherly treatment since independence and has seen no proper investment for overall development, the statement said. There has been improper utilisation of allocated funds which in itself is meager and insufficient for implementation of schemes in the areas.
The preamble of the Indian constitution says that “people are the ultimate authority and the constitution emerges from them” hence the Garo also deserve to be treated equally.
Hence, for the holistic development of this region, it is imperative on the part of the Government of Assam to take cognizance of the matter and acknowledge this right of the Garos and take necessary initiatives in creating a separate GAC in Assam. The UGACMC demanded an early written assurance from the government of Assam for the creation of a GAC failing which it would persuade to call a comprehensive boycott of the upcoming Parliamentary election in 2019 and intensify our Agitation in various ways until our demands are met.
