Shillong, Jun 8: Residents of Dabigre village and the A’king Nokma of Dabigre Sintang have objected to the inclusion of the village within the urban extension area of the Baghmara Municipal Board.
In a letter to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), founder and in charge of the Garo Hills-ni Andalaniko Bonatna Movement, Sengwat A. Sangma on behalf the residents said that the village has never been an urban area and must continue to remain under rural administration and governance.
“Dabigre is a bona fide rural village operating under the traditional A’king land system. Our village has never been urban in character, nor has it received any urban infrastructure, civic amenities, or municipal services that would warrant such a reclassification,” the letter said.
Sangma stated that the classification was carried out without the knowledge, consent, or consultation of the villagers.
One of the points raised in the letter pertains to serious irregularities during the census enumeration. It has been alleged that enumerators neglected to visit individual households, instead collecting data from a single tea shop. Sangma described this as fundamentally flawed, lacking the credibility necessary to represent the actual circumstances of the village.
The residents believe that their rights and cultural identity must be upheld. They implore the GHADC to intervene urgently, review the classification, and revoke any plans to designate Dabigre as an urban area.
