The state government’s attempt to resolve the impasse over the election of Rakesh Sangma as Chief Executive Member of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) failed, with the pressure groups determined to continue with their protests.
The pressure groups are angry with the ascension of Rakesh because, they claim, that he and his family do not follow Garo customs and traditions as they are more influenced by Rakesh’s father’s Nepali roots. This has been denied by the new CEM’s family. Those opposed to him argue that, as CEM, he holds judicial powers and it is intolerable for a person who does not follow Garo customs to be in charge of dispensing justice in cases regarding the customs of the Garos.
Weeks of agitation forced the state government to call for a meeting at the Tura Circuit House today. However, though the Deputy Commissioner had only yesterday informed that Chief Minister Conrad Sangma would be present at the talks, he was a no-show. None of the GHADC MDCs were present either. Instead, the pressure group leaders met with four MLAs – Deputy Speaker Timothy Shira, chief whip Marcus Marak, Rakkam Sangma and Thomas Sangma.
A large number of people rallied at the venue but they were disappointed with the reply of the government.
The MLAs requested the groups to give them three days to solve the issue but asked that the protests against Rakesh stop in the interim. To this the pressure groups were resolutely opposed.
“We shall willingly agree to stop our gathering and protest only when the government agrees to remove Mr Rakesh Newar (sic) from the post of CEM,” Pritam Arengh, leader of the Federation of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP), said, using Rakesh’s father’s surname. “We respect their (the MLAs’) request to drop our rallies and picketing but their answers to our demands do not satisfy us and we will continue with our fight further.”
Garo Students Union (GSU) president Tengsak Momin described it as an oft-used tactic of the government to call for negotiations, when protests erupt, only to insist that protests end and then nothing positive comes out of the talks.
Besides the removal, or resignation of Rakesh, the pressure groups also want all GHADC dismissed staff to be reinstated, to pay pending salaries to the council staff, codification of Garo customary law and to make it legally impossible for non-tribals to stand for election to the GHADC.
Meanwhile, supporting the cause in Tura, the people of Nengkhra and Baghmara, South Garo Hills, had also organized a rally in their respective places for the removal of Rakesh.
