STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Garo Development Council (GDC) has submitted a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, expressing concern over the Assam Government's proposal to hand over around 50 villages dominated by the Garo community to Meghalaya.
In the memorandum, signed by GDC chairman Alex K. Sangma said that the Assam Government has proposed to hand over approximately 50 villages dominated by the Garo community in a 18.29 sq km-area along the Assam-Meghalaya border to the neighbouring state in a bid to end the border row in six of the 12 areas of dispute.
"Majority of Garo people residing along the border have unanimously decided to stay in Assam at the time of creation of separate state of Meghalaya with the sole purpose of maintaining the age-old continuity, social security and tranquillity with the people of Assam which are the quintessential prerequisites for the all-round socio-economic development of the people of the State. Although they now agreed to be part of Meghalaya in order to resolve the border issues but the fate of our people will be uncertain if the villages were to be handed over to Meghalaya without addressing the issue of permanent land patta and voting right in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) to these people," stated the memorandum.
There are Garo-dominated places under Ri-Bhoi, East Khasi Hills and West Khasi Hills districts even before Meghalaya statehood. The districts fall under the territorial jurisdiction of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC). Garos from Khasi Hills are treated as other castes of Meghalaya. Since 1972, for almost five decades, Garos are deprived of voting and land rights in the KHADC. Garos living in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills feel as second-class citizens in their own State since the Khasis and Jaintias dominate every sphere – be it business, administration, politics etc., stated the memorandum.
Several villages which are predominately inhabited by Garo tribal community under Kamrup and Kamrup (metro) districts of Assam proposed to merge with the state of Meghalaya as an exercise to resolve the Assam-Meghalaya border dispute. Garos have registered their land documents and obtained permanent land pattas from the Assam government, long before the creation of Meghalaya from the erstwhile composite state of Assam. This was possible because the revenue department of the Assam Government had undertaken cadastral survey throughout the State, said the GDC.
In the memorandum to Amit Shah, the GDC stated, "The inclusion of border villages inhabited by Garo tribes of Kamrup and Kamrup (Metro) districts of Assam into Khasi Hills districts of Meghalaya may lead to geo-political instability, which may further cause internal security issue if the Garo tribes are repeatedly deprived of democratic rights in Khasi Hills districts of Meghalaya. The Garo people are apprehensive of the fact that they would lose their rights on land and the right to vote/ contest in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council elections. Can the Meghalaya government convince KHADC to issue permanent land pattas and voting rights in KHADC for the Garos?"
The GDC demanded that Garos should not be debarred from voting / contesting and inheritance of land rights in KHADC. "It is imperative on the part of the Government of India to take cognizance of the matter and safeguard this right of the Garos to keep the morale of the Garo people on a higher note and do justice to the Garos," stated the memorandum.
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