TURA:
Members of the ACHIK held a meeting here on Friday to demand that Tura be made the state’s winter capital with representatives of different organisations participating and giving their views and support for the issue.
Giving the views of his organization, the president of ACHIK Krima Council, Thomas M Marak, told the gathering that it was tragic to know that although the winter capital or second capital in Tura had been an agreed policy of the pioneers of the Meghalaya state, yet, it has just remained a distant dream with no actual policy for implementation even after 51 years of Meghalaya’s statehood.
Chairing the function, the working president of ACHIK Krima Council, Macklawrence M Sangma highlighted that in 51 years of statehood, many NGOs of Garo Hills had aired and submitted multiple memorandums on the issue.
He opined that in the era of Garo people and history, this agitational programme has crafted history by making it the first ever agitational programme which was solely meant for the creation of the winter capital/second capital in Tura.
Former GSU leader and former CEM of GHADC, Purno K Sangma taking part in the protest meeting informed that the Winter Capital has been the right of the Garo People as it was an agreement by all the leaders of the state during the statehood movement and added that Meghalaya’s statehood is incomplete without the establishment of winter capital in Tura.
General Secretary, ACHIK Krima Council, Bernita R. Marak elaborated on the
technicalities of Winter Capital and clarified that Winter Capital in Tura when established
will be the capital for the Legislative, Executive and Judiciary for six months.
Taking the way forward on the programme, Laben Ch. Marak, former MCS & former MPS, said that agitational programme for winter capital is not a diversion tactic from the reservation roster, as ACHIK has been looking into the issue of the rights of the A·chik people and both reservation roster and winter capital are the rights of the A·chik people for which the organisation will not settle for anything less.
The meeting concluded with an oath to take the awareness on the issue to every district, block, village and households in Garo Hills.