GSU accuses BJP of playing vote bank politics in Garo Hills

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJanuary 17, 2020

SHILLONG: The Garo Students Union (GSU) has accused the BJP of playing politics in Garo Hills region on the issue of the proposed amendment of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution.

A statement issued by the president of GSU, Tengsak B Momin on Friday said the strategic clandestine tinkering of the Indian Constitution for simple reason of vote bank politics to garner the support of the Hindu religion subscribing tribes of Garo Hills like the Koch, Boro, A’jong and Rabha tribes.

The so called LRO has confirmed the polarised politics they, the BJP, through the RSS have managed to initiate and infiltrate the Hindu population in Garo Hill, the statement said.

The GSU also warned that the polarisation of the targeted hindu tribes of Garo Hills by the BJP will have far reaching negative impact in the region.

“If the peaceful co-existence of tribals are disturbed in Garo Hills due to political meddling in the affairs of Garo Hills without knowledge and comprehension of the ground realities and historic relations and affiliations between the Koch, Boro, Garo, A’jong, Man etc and other tribals, by the BJP, Garo Hills is bound to face interesting times of violence and attrition between tribals and Garos forgoing the illegal Bangladeshi immigrants who we thought were the aggressors and real cause of  drastic demographic  change in Garo Hills.”

The GSU also said the Centre’s move to include the term unrepresented tribes in  The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Fifth Amendment) Bill, 2019 to amend the 6^th Schedule is a highly controversial decision.

This controversial act will resonate negative sentiments between the Garos and other tribes of Garo Hills which will create a rift in harmonious relationship between tribals and destroy the social fabric of unity, it said.

Momin said in the amendment of the Sixth Schedule, Section 3, (a) in paragraph 2, (i)in sub-paragraph (1) is inserted stating that-“The governor will nominate six members of whom at least two shall be women and at least four shall be nominated from the unrepresented tribes”.

This particular issue was also discussed and objected many times in various meeting with the state government and officials from the Home Ministry.

He said this issue was raised with the contention that there is no law to debar the Koch, Hajong and Rabha from participating and contesting in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), which means they have equal rights under the 6^th Schedule.

“In every GHADC election at least two candidates from the Koch, Rabha, A’jong communities are elected and if 4 are simply nominated from the mentioned communities then their strength will be automatically 6 members in the GHADC which is not fair. If they want nomination as unrepresented tribes then they must not contest in the GHADC elections. On one hand, they are represented tribes because they have MDCs in the GHADC and representation even in the Assembly and on the other they claim themselves as unrepresented tribes,” Momin said.

GSU has also threatened to move ahead with agitations if such ignominy is heaped upon the Garos. The NGO leader said GSU will be calling an emergent zonal meeting to discuss this issue.

According to him, the struggle of the ANVC… and the people of Garo Hills, must be acknowledged and recognised under the Indian Constitution to be prosperous, educated and developed but it must be development with protection for the indigenous tribe of Garo Hills.