Meghalaya: Demand for Garoland intensifies, protestors reach national capital

Demand for a separate state for Garos resonated in the national capital as protesters reached New Delhi with the demand for Garoland.

Supporters of Garoland state actively took part in the All India sit-in protest held at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on December 14 participation by statehood demanded supporters from various parts of the country, including Garo Hills.

The two-day protest sit-in a demonstration demanding the creation of new states was organised by the conglomerate National Federation for New States which has among its members the Garoland, Gorkhaland (Darjeeling hills), Tipraland (Tripura), Bodoland (Assam) Delegations. 

From Garo Hills, the Garoland demand was raised by Garo National Council MDC and Deputy CEM Nikman Ch Marak who led a delegation to the protest and narrated the demand of the Garo people who have been demanding for their own state since the time of the hill state movement in the late 1960s when the entire tribal region across the northeast erupted in protest against then Assam Government's decision to make Assamese mandatory in schools prompting a backlash that led to a peoples movement which culminated in the formation of several tribal states, including Meghalaya. 

On Wednesday, Garoland State Movement Committee leader Balkarin Marak and former GHADC CEM Purno K Sangma joined GNC leader Nikman Marak at Jantar Mantar to show their support for a separate state for the Garos.

The demand for carving out a State primarily for the Garo tribal people has gathered steam ahead of the Assembly elections in Meghalaya.

Elections to the 60-member House in Meghalaya are expected by February 2023. Elections to the Assemblies of two other northeastern States with the same number of seats – Nagaland and Tripura – would also be held simultaneously.

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