Assam: Garo Bodies demands Garo Autonomous Council and dissolution of Garo Development Council

Assam: Garo Bodies demands Garo Autonomous Council and dissolution of Garo Development Council

Garo bodies in Assam on October 6 demanded to creation Garo Autonomous Council and the dissolution of the Garo Development Council.

In this regard, Garo National Council (GNC) along with Garo Women Council organized a public meeting at the GNC Kamrup district office in Santipur, Chaygaon in Kamrup district which was presided over by Enindra U Marak, President, GNC Kamrup district. 

The main motive of the meeting on the Assam- Meghalaya border dispute, was the creation of the Garo Autonomous Council (GAC), and the dissolution of the Garo Development Council (GDC) immediately.  

Members and leaders from Garo Youth Council (Assam), All Assam Garo Gaonburha Association, Garo Mothers' Union (Assam), Garo Students' Union (Kamrup), A'Chik Border Association, Garo Nation Union (Assam) and local Garo people took participated in the meeting. 

They carried a placard, with a caption 'Garo Development Council Go back', 'GAC Our birth Right', 'Dr. Numal Momin, you must know GAC is our demand, not GDC' and many others. 

"The various Garo organizations of Assam strongly opposed the inclusions of Garo villages to Meghalaya, there are more than 21 Garo villages that have been already listed, which never wanted to go but some brokers from both the sides are conspiring to go to Meghalaya by alluring some Govt. Schemes or Projects like - Job Card, SSA Teachers, JJM, Electricity and some personal benefit, etc. from Meghalaya Govt," Enindra U. Marak said.  

"So, we strongly demand the Assam Govt. to identify those miscreants and arrest them immediately. There are some political leaders who are conspiring to divide the Garo people of Assam, especially under Boko and Chaygaon constituency to make Garo people weak and least in number to fulfill their political hopes and aspirations but the Garo people never support and allow them to do so", Marak alleged. 

"So, we request Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma led BJP Govt. of Assam to take the matter seriously and need more and more further discussion on it", Marak requested the Assam state government to look up the condition seriously. 

"On the other hand, since the very inception, the various Garo organizations of Assam strongly oppose the creation of the Garo Development (GDC) Council for Garos of Assam, which we never asked for and from the Government of Assam. 

The various Garo Organizations in Assam have only demanded the creation of the Garo Autonomous Council (GAC) on a satellite basis since the year 2010. 

''Due to the demand of the above, the previous Government of Assam Lt. Tarun Gogoi repeatedly offered the Garo Development Council (GDC) to us, but we refused to accept the offer after knowing that GDC is meaningless, powerless, and unconstitutional", Marak added. 

Marak also alleged, "But unfortunately some opportunist self-style Garo leaders of the UGACMC have accepted the Garo Development Council (GDC) and they have destroyed the longstanding dream and demand for Garo Autonomous Council (GAC) of the people of Assam. So, we strongly opposed and condemned the creation of the Garo Development Council (GDC). Finally, Our first and last demand is Garo Autonomous Council (GAC), we will not accept less than the Garo Autonomous Council (GAC) for the Garo people of Assam."