48-Hr 'Assam Bandh' Called by Garo Community, Demand of Autonomous Council

Guwahati, January 27, 2020:

The United Garo Autonomous Movement Autonomous Committee (UGACMC), an organization of the Garo community in Assam, has called for a 48-hour shutdown after the signing of the historic agreement between the Government and the Bodo stakeholders.

The organization, taking affront at the Government's signing of an Accord with Bodos, has claimed that the demand of creation of separate Autonomous Council has successive even today and accused the Governments of Assam (since 1972) of giving a "step-motherly" treatment to the community since 1972.

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Moreover, the organnization has argued that the Government has created the Moran-Motok Autonomous Council and the Kamatapur Autonomous Council, however, the Garo community, which has a significantly larger population, has been 'deprived'.

The UGACMC, meanwhile, has urged the Government to create a separate Garo Autonomous Council, prior to the grant of Sixth Schedule status to the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council.

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Therefore, the body has called for a 48-hour 'bandh' from 5 am of January 28 to 5 am of January 30 and have stated that if the Government does not respond within 96 hours after the termination of the 'bandh', protests would be carried out to press for the resolution of the Garos' problems.

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