Shillong, Mar 11: Slogans of “Go back Bangladeshis” were raised during a public meeting organised by the Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO) at Motphran in Shillong today.
The meeting was held to express solidarity with the indigenous A’chik community, over concerns related to illegal immigration and the participation of non-tribals in the upcoming Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) elections.
Several organisations and leaders from Garo Hills attended the meeting. A large number of Garo students also gathered at the venue. Speakers criticised the government for failing to protect the interests of the community.
President of the Nangrimgimin A·chik Dol (NAD) Unified Garo Organisation, David Ch Marak, said illegal immigration has affected the region and alleged that such immigrants have taken advantage of livelihood opportunities in Garo Hills. He also claimed that some migrants are able to build houses and carry out benami activities without proper monitoring by authorities. Marak said the situation has arisen due to negligence by past leaders who failed to safeguard the provisions of the Sixth Schedule.
CoMSO Chairman and Hynñiewtrep Youth Council president Roy Kupar Synrem expressed solidarity with the people of Garo Hills and said the Hynñiewtrep community stands with the A’chik people on the issue.
He criticised the government and stated that postponing the elections is to fool the people. “They postponed the elections because they know that the people will not vote for the NPP in the GHADC elections,” Synrem stated.
He also called for steps to identify and deport illegal immigrants and said, “It is time that we chase the Bangladeshis once and for all.”
HITO president Donbok Dkhar said the decision to postpone the GHADC elections was an achievement for the people of Garo Hills. He added that the youth of Meghalaya must work together to protect their land and rights.
KHNAM acting president Thomas Passah said the situation in Garo Hills shows the need for stronger legal protection for indigenous communities. He called for amendments to provisions under the Assam and Meghalaya Autonomous District (Constitution of District Council) Rules 1951, particularly Para 128(1) and 128(3) to ensure better protection for tribal areas.
During the meeting, the crowd cheered when Synrem said there is no place for chants like “Allahu Akbar”.
Jaintia National Council president Sambormi Lyngdoh said the present situation exposes the failure of governance. “The Meghalaya government appears like a steering wheel being turned by someone else. The government should be steering the direction of the state, but it seems the direction is being dictated from somewhere else,” he said.
He stated that if illegal migrants are able to challenge local communities during an election period, it means the system that is supposed to protect the people has already collapsed.
“The leadership of the GHADC must also take responsibility. The District Council was created to safeguard the rights, land, and identity of the indigenous tribal communities. Yet today, instead of protecting our people, we are witnessing a complete failure of leadership and accountability,” Lyngdoh said.
CoMSO is a coalition of indigenous pressure groups in Meghalaya and is headed by the Hynñiewtrep Youth Council.
Hundreds of people attended the meeting despite poor weather. Protesters carried placards with messages such as “Honour the rights of indigenous communities”, “Save tribal democracy”, and “Stop illegal migration”.
Several shops along the Khyndailad–Motphran stretch remained closed ahead of the gathering, while security was strengthened in and around Motphran and nearby areas.
