Demand for dividing Meghalaya on ethnic strains grows forward of Oct 30 by-election

Forward of October 30 by polls, the demand for a bifurcation of Meghalaya on ethnic strains has grown louder. Two events fashioned a coordination committee to press for the demand.

About 50 years again, Meghalaya was carved out of Assam. To take the demand forward, Hill State Folks’s Democratic Social gathering (HSPDP) and the Garo Hills State Motion Committee (GHSMC) fashioned the coordination committee to accentuate their declare for demarcation of the boundaries for the proposed Khasi-Jaintia and Garoland states.

HSPDP is among the allies within the ruling coalition in Meghalaya. The proposed Garoland consists of western Assam’s 4 districts — Chirang, Baksa, Udalguri and Kokrajhar. Presently, these areas are beneath the Bodoland in Assam and dominated beneath sixth schedule of the Structure.

HSPDP president Ok.P. Pangniang instructed the media that after bifurcation of Meghalaya, one of many states can be for the Garos and the opposite for the Khasi-Jaintia communities.

“Demarcation of the boundaries clearly be outlined to create a separate state for the Khasi-Jaintia and Garo individuals in order that no drawback emerges in future just like the present inter-state drawback between Assam and Meghalaya,” Pangniang stated.

GHSMC, a Conglomerate of a number of Garo organisations, has determined to launch motion for bifurcation. GHSMC had in December 2018 raised the demand for a separate Garoland state.

In 2014, the Meghalaya Assembly had rejected demand for the creation of a separate Garoland state within the western a part of the state.

By elections will probably be held on October 30 in three meeting seats — Mawryngkneng and Mawphlang within the East Khasi Hills and Rajabala within the West Garo Hills district.