Tura, March 1: A Garo organization known as the “A’chik Progressive Approach”, that is advocating exclusive tribal representation in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council has moved the council authorities demanding amendments to its rules to ensure only Garos contest and vote in the elections.
The group, together with a Williamnagar based advocate, Joshua Ch Marak, called on GHADC Chief Executive Member Albinush R Marak and Deputy CEM Nikman Ch Marak at the Council office in Tura on Friday to submit their proposal seeking radical changes to the way in which candidates contest and voters cast their ballot in the council polls.
With the GHADC due to hold its annual budget session, sometime next month, the CEM has expressed his inability to take up the twin issues of contesting and voting by the tribal population due to time constraints.
The organization is optimistic the council authorities will move for the amendments proposed by them in a memorandum either during the upcoming budget session or a special session, soon after.
The organization has proposed changes to Rule 8 (Qualification for Membership) and Rule 128 (Qualification for Electors). Currently, these rules allow Indian citizens residing within the GHADC’s jurisdiction to contest and vote in elections, provided they meet the required norms relating to certain residency and age criteria.
The A’chik Progressive Approach (APA) group is seeking amendments to modify these rules to ensure only individuals belonging to the Garo scheduled tribe- as specified in Part XI of the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order of 1950, can be elected as members or vote in the GHADC elections.
APA is moving for these two crucial amendments citing what it believes is the “increasing participation of non-tribal groups in GHADC affairs thereby posing a threat to the indigenous Garo population and their self-governance rights”.
In its memorandum, APA states that, “The rise of the population of non-tribal groups who are peeping to actively participate and politicize in the house of Garos- the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council, is becoming a threat or widely alarming to the indigenous Garo people.”
It says that demands for the amendments is to protect the sanctity of Garo rituals, customs, language and cultural practices, ensure exclusive Garo presentation in the GHADC, facilitate the formulation of laws and policies that directly benefit the Garo community without any external interference, promote the socio-economic development and creation of opportunities for Garo students, contractors and businesses, and preventing the potential erosion of judicial power and land rights due to non-tribal participation in the GHADC.
