TURA:
The Garoland State Movement Committee (GSMC)held a meeting at Simsanggre, East Garo Hills to constitute an Eastern Zone for the East Garoland region.
In the meeting the co-chairman, Balkarin Ch. Marak welcomed all the members who were present in the meeting for the purpose of Garoland demand.
Speaking at the meeting, Marak said, “The demand for this issue is still continuing since 1889, Late Matgrik Sonaram R Sangma till date, as a GSMC from 2012 leading the movement to get the Garoland State till present 2023 but could not hold a public meeting due to Covid-19 but it was started again in the year 2021 and 2022.”
He said that the Garoland state is for the next generation to preserve Garo identity and to protect all rights viz: land, culture, traditions, economic, language, religion, political rights and others.
He further said that the committee will not stop this demand until and unless they get a separate state.
GSMC chief adviser Purno K Sangma speaking at the meeting said, “Matgrik P A Sonaram Rongrokgre Sangma was the architect behind the Garoland state during the British regime.”
Sangma further said that several leaders including Mody K Marak and Emonsing M. Sangma wrote a letter to the British government in 1946 but the colonial government failed to hear the voice of Garo people. Further many Garo organisations came up to fight for Garoland State like Garo Students’ Union (GSU) and many more.
“The Garoland State is for the development of the Garo people. Presently, Garo people are still in the stage of stateless society within the territory of the Indian Union whereas Mizo speaking people have got Mizoram state, Naga has got Nagaland but our Garo people are still in composite state which is not enough for our people. Garoland State demand is constitutional under the provision of the Constitution of India so, Garo people need to stand together, work together, think together for the future generation,” he said.
Jakrak A Sangma, Co-Chairman, GSMC, HQ Tura said, “We need the Garoland State to uplift our people. We were divided politically during British time and within the Indian Union after getting the GADC and Meghalaya statehood. Currently, the Garo people are lacking behind. We have to travel to Shillong to address our problems. The Garo region did not have even a Central University, Governor’s House, Assembly Building, Chief Minister’s Office, Secretariat and the High Court amongst others. These are the reasons why Garo people could not engage in daily activities of the Government machinery as we remain distant from the administrative units.”