Shillong, March 5: The All A·chik Youth Federation has urged West Garo Hills police to register a suo motu case against former MDC Sofior Rahman, alleging that his facebook posts and videos insult Garo tribal rights and affront matrilineal custom.
In a statement issued on Thursday, AAYF vice president Rikkam P Marak alleged that Rahman has continuously challenged and violated tribal rights and asked that he be booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
“We urge the law enforcement department of West Garo Hills to register a suo motu case against him under the following sections of law,” he said.
The letter lists eight sets of provisions, including Sections 46, 122(2), 192, 196(1)(a), 352 and 353 of the BNS, and clauses of Section 3(1) of the SC/ST Act, and calls the remarks a threat to public order and indigenous dignity.
AAYF also raised a custody dispute, claiming Rahman’s taking custody of a daughter is contrary to Garo customary law, under which the mother holds custody.
The statement refers to Rahman’s family history — his grandparents moved from Dhubri, Assam, to Baitbari in 1965 after floods — and recounts a 2009 incident where he allegedly accused local Garos of damaging his car.
“Sofior Rahman’s grandparents migrated to Baitbari, West Garo Hills, Meghalaya from Dhubri district of Assam, along with 100 other families, in October 1965 due to flood conditions in the Dhubri district of Assam. During that time, certain corrupt Garo politicians provided them shelter and facilitated their settlement, helping them obtain legal documents solely to use them as a vote bank,” Marak said.
“We are fully committed to protecting and safeguarding Garo tribal rights and the Constitution of India,” he added.
