Assam: Formation of Garo Development Council protested in Dudhnoi

A Correspondent

Boko: Garo Autonomous Council demand Committee (GACDC) organized a public meeting at Silluk village Playground in Dudhnoi on Thursday. Leaders and members of the Garo Autonomous Council (GNC), Garo Women Council (GWC), Garo Youth Council (GYC), All Garo Gaonburha Association and many other organizations along with Garo tribal people from both Kamrup and Goalpara districts took part in the public meeting against the Garo Development Council (GDC).

President of GACDC, Benhur Sangma presided over the meeting where, former chairman of Garo Development Council (GDC) Alex K Sangma, social activist Riya Sangma took part as chief guests in the meeting. Enindra U. Marak, general secretary of GNC said, “We will never accept GDC. We are shocked that despite our long pending demand, state government has disregarded us and once again GDC new committee will be formed under the patronage of the deputy speaker of Assam Legislative Assembly Dr. Numal Momin. We will never accept it.”

Former Chairman of GDC Alex K Sangma said that the Assam government had promised before the formation of the development council that it would be upgraded to the Autonomous Council. However the State government has been cheating the garo community till date and the government has not fulfilled the long pending demand till now. Therefore, all garo organisations from Assam got together and organised the public meeting.

Alex K Sangma alleged, “The State government cheated with us for about two years by giving GDC without cabinet approval, but last year on December 12 cabinet approved the GDC and this happened only because of the faults of deputy speaker of Assam Legislative Assembly Dr. Numal Momin. Therefore we did not get any budget till two years, but last year we got a little budget of about 33 lakh rupees and from there we have started some development works immediately.”

“Today we discussed future plans to achieve the Garo Autonomous Council and till date we have continued to protest,” added Alex K Sangma, Former Chairman of GDC.

A social activist from Garo community, Riya Sangma said, “We people living in Assam have been demanding Garo Autonomous Council for a long time. Government promised us to give funds every year to develop our community, but we did not get anything as promised. In Assam, more than 7 lakhs people from Garo community live in around 853 villages. However, very less populated tribal communities have already got the Autonomous Council for their comprehensive development. So, we are the second largest community in Assam, though the State government gave us a development council instead of the Autonomous council.”

Riya Sangma alleged, “Now another scene created by the deputy speaker of Assam Legislative Assembly Dr. Numal Momin, who promised that after GDC, it will be upgraded to the Autonomous Council and we accept his promise, because he is one of our brothers. But now Momin again created another committee for GDC even after the old committee’s terms were not finished.”

“Momin has formed committees unethically for GDC, instead of trying for an autonomous council for the Garo Community for comprehensive development. We will continue our protest,” alleged Riya Sangma.

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