Organizations in Garo Hills have objected the demand of other sub tribes to create a separate District Council for them in Meghalaya.
Earlier some organizations from the sub-tribes in Meghalaya – Hajongs, Rabhas, Kochs, Boro-Kacharis and Mann–met Union Minister for DoNER Jitendra Singh and demanded a separate District Council for them.
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“We the GSU, FKJGP, ADE and AYWO outrightly reject and condemn all the demands made by those organizations,” a joint statement signed by Garo Students’ Union (GSU) president Tengsak G Momin, Association for Democracy and Empowerment (ADE) president Dalseng Bira Ch. Momin, A’chik Youth Welfare Organization (AYWO) general secretary Sengbath Ch Marak and Federation of Khasi Jaiñtia and Garo People (FKJGP) Garo Hills Zone president Pritam Marak, said.
“These organizations and their demands are unfounded and irrational. Neither, does these tribes, have evident number of population to demand for a separate District Council nor reservation in the existing District Council,” the statement said.
On job reservation policy, the statement said, “If they want more reservation in government jobs, they should rather approach the state/central government. Perhaps these organizations are living in a world so disconnected to reality that they have not noticed that the GHADC have more than one year salary pending to be paid to its employees. The concern at the moment is, whether a blanket ban on any appointment should be made in the GHADC. The GHADC has not and should never introduce any job reservation policy in future as well which will affect all other District Councils and Territorial Councils in the whole of North East India.”
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On the demand for a separate Gaonbura (headman), the Garo organizations said that there can be no justification to the demand for a separate Gaonbura under the Garo A’king land in the District Council since the Nokma is the custodian of the land.
It is an act trying to undermine the power of the traditional heads which is the Nokma. This suggestion will never be tolerated by us. The Garo community has always respected other STs living in Garo Hills but, such unacceptable demands by a few group of people is testing the patience of the tolerant Garos. These so called organizations, seems to be agents, working to create disharmony in Garo Hills.
Various Garo organizations had in the past opposed the participation of non-tribals in the GHADC elections, but did question the participation of other STs in the GHADC elections.