The Garo community in Assam is unhappy with the Garo Students’ Union (Assam State Zone) for aligning with the Rabha Hasong Sixth Schedule Demand Committee stating it has made a contentious and controversial move that has egregiously undermined and betrayed the genuine aspirations and fundamental interests of the Garos.
The Garos residing under the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC) has been demanding for the establishment of a distinct Garo Autonomous Council in Assam to address the long-standing demands equitably and ensure the exclusion of Garo villages from the RHAC before granting the RHAC Sixth Schedule status.
“The Garo community has been confronted with a staggering betrayal. The Garo Students’ Union (Assam State Zone) has acted against the unified and genuine aspirations of the Garo people. By aligning themselves with the Rabha Hasong Sixth Schedule Demand Committee, the GSU (ASZ) has betrayed the fundamental interests of our community. Their endorsement of the Sixth Schedule status for the RHAC, purportedly on behalf of the Garo community, is an act of egregious betrayal,” the All Assam Garo NGOs Forum said today.
Stating that its opposition is not against the Garo Students’ Union, Central Executive Committee (CEC), GSU Nagaland, or GSU BTC (Assam), the forum said that the entire Garo community of Assam stands against the specific actions taken by the GSU (ASZ) in supporting the Sixth Schedule to RHAC without consulting the community.
“In response to this deplorable act of betrayal, the entire Garo community, along with all Garo NGOs of Assam, has unanimously decided to impose a strict and definitive ban on the Garo Students’ Union (Assam State Zone) in Assam,” the forum declared.
The forum said the decision to ban the GSU (ASZ) is a testament to its solidarity and determination and condemned the statement made by the union against Pholince Sangma, Chairman of UGACMC, Assam.
