President Droupadi Murmu has been urged by the Garoland State Movement Committee (GSMC) to facilitate the creation of a separate state for the matrilineal Garo tribal community. This proposed state would be carved out of Meghalaya, incorporating certain Garo-inhabited regions from Assam. In their petition, the GSMC emphasized the need to protect the rights of the Garo people, highlighting various challenges faced by legitimate Garo citizens in their own territories. The call for a separate Garoland State is not new; it has historical roots extending back over a century to India’s pre-Independence period.
The movement for Garoland, which would primarily include areas inhabited by the Garo community from the erstwhile undivided Assam and regions now in present-day Bangladesh, was initiated by Matgrik Sonaram R Sangma, a dedicated Garo leader, during the British colonial era in 1895-prior to Mahatma Gandhi’s campaign for India’s independence. The petition notes that successive Garo leaders have brought this issue to the attention of both the former undivided state of Assam and the current state of Meghalaya since its formation in 1972, as well as various central governments, yet it has remained largely neglected.
The document asserts that the Garo community is peaceful and prefers dialogue and negotiation over violence to resolve grievances. Although the Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia tribal communities have coexisted harmoniously, the petition points out significant differences among them, including languages, cultures, customs, and land governance systems. These diverse identities hinder the overall growth and development of the state. Furthermore, it highlights the enduring economic challenges faced by the Garo Hills region.
Given these pressing issues, the GSMC has appealed to the President to reassess their call for a separate Garoland state, underlining that meaningful action is necessary to address the long-standing demands of the Garo people.
Original Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/prez-murmu-petitioned-to-initiate-creation-of-separate-garoland/articleshow/123416073.cms
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Publish Date: 2025-08-21 05:31:00
