From CK Nayak
New Delhi, Nov 23: The Meghalaya Indigenous Minority Tribals Forum (MIMTF) of Garo Hills on Saturday demanded creation of two regional councils within the KHADC and the GHADC under the Sixth Schedule of the constitution for Hajong, Koch, Rabha, Boro, Kachari and Mann tribes to fulfil their aspirations.
MIMTF said that since the creation of Meghalaya, they have been suggesting that these two regional councils should be set up under Article 280 of the Constitution which will enable them to receive direct funding from the Centre.
The forum submitted a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah through former Rajya Sabha member, Rakesh Sinha in support of their demands, said former minister and spokesman of the forum KC Boro.
The MIMTF also demanded for satellite councils since the minority tribals are distributed in different pockets of the state. The forum alleged that the indigenous minority tribals are deprived of most of the government schemes which are taken away by the three major tribal groups – Khasis, Garos and Jaintias.
“Regional Councils will help in uplift and all-round development in the fields of education, economic, social, political etc. and for the protection of our social, political and constitutional rights. We believe, if we get this help from the Centre, our people will be able to come at par at least with the Khasis, Jaintias and Garos of the state who are much developed and advanced today in all respects,” Boro said.
The MMTF also raised serious concerns over the drastic change in the demography in the bordering areas of the Indo-Bangladesh frontier in Meghalaya in the past decades as is the case with Assam.
“This has caused serious law and order problems for the indigenous tribal communities,” Boro said.
The memorandum was signed by convener of the forum, Anubhav Hajong.