From Our Correspondent
TURA, Oct 17: The Meghalaya Pradesh Youth Congress (MPYC) has condemned the state government’s decision to appoint West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Vibhor Aggarwal as the Principal Secretary of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC).
“This move is a direct assault on the spirit and purpose of the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, one of the most important safeguards created to protect the rights, identity and self-governance of the tribal people of Northeast India. The Sixth Schedule was introduced, recognising the importance of preserving the distinct culture, traditions and governance of the tribal communities,” MPYC president Timjim Momin said.
Momin added that the NPP-led government was attempting to undermine and dilute the very foundation of the Sixth Schedule. “By placing a serving Deputy Commissioner, an officer of the State administration, in charge of the GHADC, the NPP Government has effectively brought the Council under bureaucratic control, thereby attempting to scrap the essence of the Sixth Schedule from Garo Hills,” he said.
According to Momin, the move highlights the failure of the present GHADC Executive Committee (EC) to uphold governance and autonomy. He suggested that if the current EC could not manage the Council effectively, it should be dissolved and replaced with leadership that respects the Constitution and the rights of the people.
“The Sixth Schedule is not just a law, it is the lifeline of tribal self-rule and identity. Any attempt to weaken it will be met with strong resistance from the people of Garo Hills and the Youth Congress,” he warned, while demanding that the Government revoke the decision immediately and restore full autonomy to the GHADC in the true spirit of the Sixth Schedule.
