Citizenship bill will affect plains but expose illegal settlers, says Bernard

SHILLONG: The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, will affect the plains belt of Garo Hills and lead to an identity crisis of the Garo population, former chairman of ANVC-B Bernard Marak said in a statement issued on Sunday.
However, he pointed out that with this bill the existing illegal citizenship of many outsiders would come to fore. Marak said the bill “will fall hard on the plains belt areas” and “locals and non locals will have different definition”.
NGOs who barred non-tribal participation in council elections should push this opportunity to distinguish between locals and illegal migrants, the statement said, adding that ILP demand can be put forward as Garo Hills “desperately need a mechanism to check flow of outsiders”.
Criticising the GHADC for failing to protect Garo land, Marak said the identity of Garos has been distorted in the plains because politicians and the council “carelessly” provided citizenship to outsiders.
“I do not want Garos to turn into minority just because some political leaders want their seat secured through votes of non-locals. GHADC too has failed the Garo people by issuing land pattas to non-locals without Nokma’s consent,” he said and added that more than those to become citizens, our existing illegal citizenship issue will come to fore.
Marak pointed out that scheduled areas have special provision protected by the Constitution. In Meghalaya, the ultimate call to provide land to settle falls under the discretion of the traditional heads. The bill, which was passed in the Lok Sabha, cannot change the age-old traditional setup of the land owning system in the state.
“It is a wake-up call for those who take their origin seriously, as traditionalism is the solution to modern system of administration. In Garo Hills, which is a scheduled area, CAB will have a reverse effect because the autonomous district council manages the land matters and A’king Nokmas are the custodian of land. Without the nokma’s concern no one can settle in an A’king land,” he said.