SHILLONG:
The Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO) has extended full support to the demand for creation of separate Garoland state and Khasi state and asked all political parties to make their stand clear on the issue.
In a statement issued here on Sunday, HITO president Donbok Dkhar said, “We would also like to support the Council of Nokmas the apex traditional body who have also demanded for special recognition and who are part of the Grand Council of Chiefs of Meghalaya which include Federation of Khasi States for their support on the demand of the Khasi States as per the treaty of the Instrument of Accession and Annexed Agreement which was signed and accepted by Governor General of India on 17 August 1948.”
He also called on the political parties to make their stand clear on this matter and said, “The Khasi States demand includes the 54 Hima/Elaka and 19 Elaka in Jaintia Hills including the Khasi villages lands of the Hima which are under present Assam state and Bangladesh.”
He said in 1972 Meghalaya, in 1987 Arunachal and Mizoram were made states. Then in 2000 Chattisgarh, Uttaranchal (in 2007 name was changed to Uttrakhand) and  Jharkhand were carved out of MP, Bihar and UP.
In 2014 Telengana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh. In Oct 2019, Jammu and Kashmir ceased to exist (judicial challenge in SC) and two UTs — J&K and UT of Laddakh —Â were created.
“Today we have 28 states and 9 UTs. There is full justification for creating more states in India but in Meghalaya the HITO would like to be clear about the demand for a state the status of the Khasi States mentioned in the First Schedule strangely within Assam is a constitutional anomaly as we will accept a new Khasi State only as per the IOA & AA in a special article 370A so as to restore the National Assembly of the Khasi States inaugurated by the Governor of Assam on 29 April 1949 comprising of 25 chiefs 56 MLAs elected from the Khasi States and 8 nominated (4men and 4women),” Dkhar said. He said that the HITO is willing to join (the movement) if invited.