Garo organizations to boycott Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council election

A Correspondent

Boko: A general meeting was organized by Garo National Council along with Garo Women Council, Garo Youth Council and others sister organizations at the regional office of Garo National Council, Santipur under Chaygaon constituency. The meeting was presided over by Anindra R Marak, Kamrup district president of Garo National Council.

Arbitson Momin, the president of Garo National Council Assam state zone, said, “We will boycott the upcoming RHAC election as we have always opposed this council. We are the native tribes of this area and our language, culture and customary laws are different from other tribes of the plains. So we should get the council before the Rabhas and there is no reason why we should be included in the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council. The customary law of Rabhas cannot solve our problems. In 2013 too we had boycotted the RHAC election and in future to we will boycott the RHAC and fight for Garo Autonomous Council in Kamrup and Goalpara districts.”

He agreed that few Garos would participate in the forthcoming RHAC election but they were even less than 5 per cent. “Also a case is pending in Gauhati High Court since a long time which has been filed by more than 200 village representatives against the validity of the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC). Due to the State Government’s poor attitude towards the court case it is pending or by now the RHAC would not have been there,” said Benedict Alok Areng, joint co-coordinator of Garo and Non-Tribal Coordination Committee. “We will boycott the election again and again till we get justice from the Gauhati High Court,” he added.

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