TURA, Aug 25: Pressure groups from Garo Hills including the GSU, AYWO, FKJGP, ADE and FAF on Wednesday raised concern over the Centre’s proposed amendment to the Sixth Schedule to include the term ‘unrepresented tribes’ and cautioned that the move would have far reaching negative impact on the peaceful co-existence of the different tribes in Garo Hills.
In a statement issued here, the combined groups termed the move as merely a ‘strategic clandestine tinkering of the Indian Constitution’ by the BJP Government at the Centre for ‘vote-bank politics’ and garnering support from other tribes of Garo Hills like the Koch, Boro, Hajong etc.
Stating that it was privy to knowledge that the final meeting on the issue of amendment to the Sixth Schedule is to be held soon with directions already having been given to the state government and the autonomous district councils to submit their final take on the matter, the groups urged Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and the GHADC Chief Executive Member to vehemently reject the proposal or face widespread agitation, if they relent.
“The polarisation of the targeted Hindu tribes of Garo Hills will have far-reaching negative impact in the region as the danger was the illegal Bangladeshi Muslim immigrants. But if the peaceful co-existence of tribals is disturbed due to political meddling without knowing the relations between the different tribes, Garo Hills is bound to face interesting times of violence amongst tribals themselves. The politics of the BJP in Garo Hills or North East is simply to extend their vote-bank politics and ensure its long-term political survival,” the organisations alleged.
Quoting the proposed amendment of the Sixth Schedule, it pointed to Section 3, (a) in paragraph 2, (i) in sub-paragraph (1), which stated that ‘the governor will nominate six members of whom at least two shall be women and at least four shall be nominated from the unrepresented tribes’.
“This particular issue was discussed many times in various meetings with the state government and the official from the Home Ministry where the civil societies and NGOs of Meghalaya under the umbrella of MITCRM objected it again and again. This issue was raised with the contention that there is no law to debar the Koch, Hajong and Rabha from participating and contesting in the GHADC which means they have equal rights under the 6th Schedule”.
Pointing out that the trend in each GHADC election was that at least two candidates from either Koch, Rabha or Hajong tribes, are elected, the organisations said that simply nominating four from the same tribes is unfair.
“If they want nomination as unrepresented tribes, then they must not contest in the GHADC elections. On one hand, they are represented tribes because they have MDCs in the GHADC and representation even in the Assembly, and on the other, they claim themselves as unrepresented tribes. How is this contradictory logic and reasoning possible?” they said.
