GUWAHATI: The United Garo Autonomous Council Movement Committee (UGACMC) has reiterated its demand for creation of a separate autonomous council on satellite basis within the framework of the Indian Constitution.
The committee, while welcoming the Assam Cabinet’s decision to constitute autonomous councils for Koch-Rajbongshi, Moran and Matak communities, hoped that the resolutions taken at the Cabinet meet would pave the way for an autonomous council for the Garo community, which is a major indigenous group of the state.
“The population of Garos in Assam is spread across several villages in the state and relatively higher than Koch-Rajbongshi, Moran and Matak communities. However, the Garo community has been deprived of its due in various aspects and only a separate autonomous council can help determine its development goals and redress the imbalance and backwardness of the areas inhabited by the community, UGACMC (Assam state) general secretary, Thengsil Sangma told The Shillong Times here on Tuesday.
Ever since it was granted the status of a Scheduled Tribe in 2003, the community has been demanding a separate council by excluding all the Garo villages of Kamrup and Goalpara districts from the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council.
“Therefore, we want the government to create a separate autonomous council for the community, prior to the grant of Sixth Schedule status to the Rabha Hasong Autonmous Council,” Sangma said.
The committee further reiterated that the Garo-inhabited areas of Assam have not seen any development since 1972, with improper utilisation of allocated fund, which in itself has been insufficient for implementation of schemes.
“If the state government does not respond to our long pending demand, we would be compelled to intensify our agitation, starting with a sit-in demonstration at Dudhnoi, Goalpara on January 6, 2020,” he said.