From Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Aug 21: A delegation of the Garoland State Movement Committee (GSMC) met President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday and submitted a memorandum to push the statehood demand for the Garo-dominated part of Meghalaya.
Asserting that the “rights of Garo people should be protected”, the memorandum highlighted “problems” faced by the bona fide Garo citizens in their “own lands” and in neighbouring countries.
It said that the demand for the creation of Garoland is a century-old issue dating back to India’s pre-independence era. It said statehood can be granted under Article 3 of the Constitution of India, which empowers Parliament to form new states and reorganise existing state boundaries.
“The movement for the creation of the Garoland state comprising predominantly Garo-inhabited areas of the erstwhile undivided Assam and vast chunks of land occupied by the indigenous Garo tribe spread over Mymensing and Dhaka districts in present-day Bangladesh, was spearheaded by a patriotic Garo leader, the late Matgrik Sonaram R. Sangma, during the British regime in 1895,” the GSMC stated.
The GSMC’s acting chairman, BC Marak and other members submitted the memorandum to the President. A copy of the representation was earlier submitted to Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, who assured the committee of looking into the issue.
The memorandum said successive Garo leaders pursued the issue with the erstwhile undivided state of Assam and with Meghalaya after it attained statehood in 1972. Successive central governments were also approached, but the issue remained unheard. Stating that the Garos, Khasis, and Jaintias have been living peacefully, the GSMC pointed out that the three communities have different languages, cultures, customs, traditions, beliefs, local governance, and even land holding systems. It added that the “three tribes are totally different from each other, which impedes the growth of the state and its people altogether”.
The committee also said that the Garo Hills have remained economically backward.
The proposed Garoland map roughly covers the western half of Meghalaya, comprising 24 of the state’s 60 Assembly constituencies, parts of the Garo-inhabited areas of neighbouring Assam and Bangladesh.
“Among the other issues we highlighted include the salary crisis in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council, infrastructure requirements, cultural recognition, and the preservation of traditional institutions through the construction of Nokpantes (bachelors’ dormitories) for each of the 12 Garo sub-tribes,” Marak said.