TURA, Feb 2: Several organisations from Assam have vehemently condemned the Garo Development Council (GDC), which has been given by the Assam government for Garos residing there, while maintaining that the Garo community had never asked for it.
Organisations like the Garo National Council (GNC), Garo Youths’ Council (GYC) and Garo Women’s Council (GWC), in a statement on Tuesday, said that their demand, which was placed before the then Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in 2010, was for the Garo Autonomous Council.
“We were the first Garo organisations in Assam to demand for the creation of Garo Autonomous Council (GAC) on March 13, 2010, during a meeting at Langkona village near Boko, Kamrup district. Due to our demands, the previous (Assam) government repeatedly offered the GDC, which was refused by us after knowing that the GDC is meaningless, powerless and unconstitutional,” Enindra Marak, the general secretary of GNC said.
Marak said the same was now being contemplated by the Assam government as some self-styled Garo leaders from the United Garo Autonomous Council Movement Committee (UGACMC) have accepted the GDC, thereby destroying the long-standing dream and demand for GAC.
“The so-called president of the UGACMC and newly nominated chairman of GDC, Alex K Sangma, is not Garo by birth. His real name is Mahendra Barua and he presently is living in Salpara (Mendipathar) in Meghalaya. How can he be a Garo leader and be nominated as chairman of the GDC?,” the organisations questioned.
Terming the creation of GDC and the nomination of its members “illegal”, the organisations further alleged that the newly nominated chairman and vice-chairman, including the members of the GDC, were never associated with the demand and movement for the Garo Autonomous Council.
“This is an insult to the leaders of the real movement for the GAC. We strongly oppose and condemn the creation of Garo Development Council as well as nomination of its members. Our first and last demand is Garo Autonomous Council. We will not accept anything less for the Garo people of Assam,” the organisations maintained.
Meanwhile, another Garo leader, Suneet P Marak, whose name was published in the notification for formation of the Garo Development Council by the Assam Governor, has rejected his nomination as the member of the GDC.
“I never asked to be nominated and am not associated with these so-called members of the GDC. I reject my nomination and will never accept the membership of GDC,” Suneet said.