SHILLONG: A delegation of the Garo Hills State Movement Committee (GHSMC) and Garo Students’ Union met Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju in New Delhi demanding Garoland statehood on Thursday.
In a memorandum submitted to the Union Home Minister on Thursday, the delegation said the demand for a separate Garoland state dates back to pre-Independence time, when Late Sonaram R. Sangma, the then Garo Leader resident of Bakrapur, demanded a separate state for Garos. The delegation said though several political parties and NGOs have approached the Union Government on the matter since ages, the latter has so far not responded.
The delegation added that though the Garo, Khasi and Jaintias have been living mutually and peacefully in Meghalaya, the three communities have different languages, culture, customs, traditions, beliefs, local governance and even land holding system.
“Contrastingly the three tribes are totally different from each other, which impede the growth of the state and its people altogether. Besides this, distant geographical setting of the state capital, Shillong, compounded by pathetic road connectivity and medium of communication, the entire Garo Hills had till now not able to come out of its lack of economic, education, development etc., whereas other parts of India are witnessing a revolution of Information Communication and Technology in every household,” the delegation said in the memorandum.
Stating that the Constitution allows formation of new state for the Garos, the delegation added that Garo Hills has various resources for its growth and development if utilised.
“International trade is imminent with South-East Asia through Bangladesh. Numerous avenues for the tourism industry are lying untapped. Human capital resource is growing,” the delegation said.
