NEWDELHI/SHILLONG: A delegation of several organizations from Garo Hills, including the Hajongs, Rabhas, Koches, Boro-Kacharies and Manns tribes, met DoNER Minister Jitendra Singh in Delhi on Tuesday and demanded an Autonomous District Council for them.
Raising the demand, the delegation said para 1 (2) of the 6th Schedule of the Constitution has provision to create an Autonomous District Council for indigenous tribes like Hajongs, Rabhas, Koches, Boro-Kacharies and Manns.
Another demand made by the delegation was reservation of 10 seats for these tribes in GHADC and nomination of some members to the Council. They also demanded nomination of one Tribal Gaonbura (Village Headman) to the Council.
The other main demands put forward by the delegation included job reservation in the GHADC for other tribes.
In a detailed memorandum submitted to the Minister, the members of the delegation said the state government has always been perceived to be inhabited by only three tribal groups, the Khasis, the Jaintias and the Garos.
“However, it is submitted that there are other indigenous tribal communities in the state as well, which have been feeling neglected for a long time, in spite of owing their origin to the state since times immemorial”, the memorandum said.
The delegation further said the stakeholders who have so far been invited for discussion regarding the amendment to the 6th Schedule of the Constitution in respect of strengthening the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council, have mostly been from the three tribal communities of the Khasis, the Jaintias and the Garos.
The delegation said the views of other communities should also be invited and incorporated.
In response, Singh said since the issues raised by the delegation were outside the purview of the Ministry of DoNER, he would take up the matter with the other ministries including the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Ministry of Minority Affairs, and also forward the memorandum submitted to him to these ministries.