TURA, Feb 21: The ongoing office picketing of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council is set to continue after talks between pressure groups demanding the ouster of Chief Executive Member, Rakesh A Sangma and representatives of the government failed to arrive at an amicable solution on Monday evening.
According to leaders of the protesting groups who spoke shortly after returning from the meeting venue, representatives from the government had sought three days’ time to decide on the issue while requesting them to call off the ongoing protest.
“They requested us to call off the protest saying that they will take up the matter with the party leadership and the MDCs. However, we told them that until and unless the new CEM is removed, we will continue with the ongoing protest,” FKJGP president Pritam Arengh said.
“We knew that the talks would be inconclusive from the beginning. It has become a trend that whenever there is a protest, the government invites the protesters for talks only to tell us to call off the strike. But we gave them our list of demands which includes, removal of the CEM, regular payment of salaries, to hold talks with MDCs on the current issue, reinstatement of terminated GHADC staff, implementation of Garo Customary Law (GCL) and to prepare a separate electoral roll barring non-tribal participation in the GHADC,” GSU president Tengsak G Momin added.
The meeting held at the Tura Circuit House was attended by Resubelpara MLA Timothy D Shira, Williamnagar MLA Marcuise N Marak, North Tura MLA Thomas A Sangma and Rongara-Siju MLA Rakkam A Sangma. However, none of the GHADC MDCs were seen at the site. While all media persons were barred from attending the meeting, it was initially learnt that the DIPR would cover the meeting. However, the presence of its staff was also not seen at the meeting venue.
Earlier, protestors numbering in their thousands marched from the GHADC to the meeting venue shouting slogans of “Long live A’chik Asong” and “Long Live GHADC”. However, only the leaders of the seven pressure groups invited for the meeting besides selected Nokmas and mothers were present during the meeting.
