Meghalaya | Tribal bodies of GH deny reports of separate Autonomous Councils demand

From Our Correspondent | TURA, July 20, 2018

Tribal minority bodies of the Garo Hills, on Thursday, came out to deny reports of their demand for separate autonomous councils as had been widely reported in various media houses.

In a statement on Thursday, the All Bodo Students' Union, Meghalaya Koch Association, All Rabha Students' Union, Meghalaya Rabha Jatio Sewa Sangha, Meghalaya State Committee (MSC) of Bodo Sahitya Sabha and MSC Bodo Sahitya Sabha clarified on the matter.

Reacting to the report, the group said, ""We have not made any such demand. Our demand rather was for the creation of an Autonomous Regional Council (ARC) under the purview of paragraph 1(2) of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India for our identity- social, economic, cultural, political within the GHADC. This includes the strengthening of several issues concerning us following the proposed amendment of the Sixth Schedule."

The statement of demand for separate Autonomous Councils had gone down well with most people of Garo Hills. On them being called sub tribes by certain individuals, the associations clarified that they were indigenous to Garo Hills and preceded the formation of the GHADC in 1952 and the state in 1972.

"We are indigenous scheduled tribes of the state and have our own distinct language, culture and traditions. We are bonafide residents of the region. We favour the interests of Garo Hills and Meghalaya and have even been supporting the demand for Garoland since it began," they added.

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