GUWAHATI: The United Garo Autonomous Council Movement Committee has decided to boycott the Republic Day celebration on Sunday in protest against the state government’s “lack of response” towards its demand for an autonomous council for the Garo community in Assam.
In a statement on Friday, UGACMC chairman, Alex K. Sangma said that the 17-year-old demand for the creation of a separate autonomous council for the Garo people in the state on satellite basis has remained elusive despite umpteen pleas.
“So we have decided boycott the Republic Day celebration this time and wear black badges in protest against the indifferent stance of the state government in regard to our long-pending demand for a separate council,” Sangma said.
“The Garos are one of the major tribes of Assam with a relatively higher population than the population of Koch-Rajbongshi, Moran and Matak communities for whom the state government recently decided to constitute autonomous councils,” he said.
The UGACMC chairman also said that the state government’s move to create councils for the other communities paved the way for creation of a separate council for Garos.
“Only a separate council on satellite basis can determine the development goals and redress the imbalance and backwardness of the areas inhabited by the Garo community in Assam,” he reiterated.
The committee, it may be noted, has also been pressing for creation of the autonomous council prior to grant of Sixth Schedule status to the Rabha Hasong Autonmous Council (RHAC).
“We want exclusion of all the 374 Garo-inhabited villages in Goalpara and Kamrup districts which are currently under RHAC,” he added.