From Our Correspondent
TURA, Aug 19: Former members of the now-defunct ANVC and ANVC-B, who were part of the Agreed Text for Settlement between the two groups and the state and the central governments, have come together to constitute a unified group, demanding from the government that the terms of the agreed text be fulfilled. The new group has been christened ‘Unified Group of Garo Accord Signatories’.
In a letter issued to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, the newly floated group said that the unification marked a renewed and collective commitment to the objectives enshrined in the “Garo Accord,” which, despite its significance, remained largely unimplemented due to persistent anomalies and administrative negligence over the past decade. The differences between the two factions have been long resolved and both groups proceed peacefully to attain the promises made to the people of the State, it added.
“We urge your esteemed leadership to take proactive measures to fulfill the commitments made under the Accord, which was solemnly signed in 2014 in New Delhi in the presence of Rajnath Singh, then Union Home Minister, and Kiren Rijiju, then Minister of State (Home), along with other dignitaries representing both the Central and State Governments. The formation of this unified group reflects our shared resolve to uphold the spirit and constitutional intent of the Accord, which sought to strengthen and reform the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution,” the group demanded, in its letter.
Informing that it was committed to constructive engagement with both the Government of Meghalaya and the Centre to ensure that the aspirations of the Garo people are realized in both letter and spirit, the group requested that a meeting be convened at the earliest to review the status of the Agreed Text and to formulate modalities for its effective implementation.
“We further urge that no reforms or modifications be undertaken in the structure or functioning of the ADCs that fall outside the scope of the “Agreed Text for Settlement.” Any such unilateral actions would not only contravene the spirit of the Accord but may also amount to a constitutional breach and political subversion of the agreement,” it added.