NONGSTOIN:
In a bid to revive the old relationship that had been there during the time of their great leaders, (L) Hoping Stone Lyngdoh and (L) Clifford Marak, the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) and the Garo National Council (GNC) held a meeting on December 12 at Mawphanlur Tourist Spot in West Khasi Hills District.
During the meeting, the two parties discussed the demand for a separate state for the Khasi-Jaintia and Garo people, and they decided to re-constitute the coordination committee between GNC and HSPDP under the leadership of KP Pangniang as chairman and Nickman Marak as co-chairman of the committee.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, HSPDP president KP Pangniang said that the HSPDP and GNC will work together on the demand for a separate state for the Khasi-Jaintia and Garo people. He also said that both parties are demanding a separate state not because they hate each other, but for the benefit of each other.
“We know that it is not easy to get but it is not impossible either and we have the right to demand and the right to get,” he added.
Meanwhile, general secretary of GNC, Agustine R Marak, said that GNC is a political party spearheading the demand for a separate Khasi-Jaintia and Garo state.
“Our leader, (L) Clifford R Marak, had clearly stated in his memorandum that the GNC is demanding a separate Garo state and will not cross an inch beyond the boundary of the Garo Hills District,” he said.
He also said that the GNC and HSPDP under the leadership of the two deceased leaders had created a coordination committee that jointly submitted a memorandum to the Government of India demanding separate Khasi-Jaintia and Garo states.
“Today we have re-constituted the coordination committee between GNC and HSPDP and we will continue to pursue the pending demand of our great leaders with mutual understanding and non-violence,” he added.
He further said that as per the understanding between the GNC and HSPDP, the demands will not affect the Garo community residing in the Khasi Hills region.
“We have Garo people residing in Assam and even in Bangladesh, and as it is a political boundary, it is not easy to get all those areas to the proposed Garo Hills state,” he said.
The coordination committee between GNC and HSPDP will also take part in the dharna in Delhi on December 14 under the umbrella of the Federation of New State Demand Committee.