Meghalaya: Territorial organisation backs Garoland State Movement Committee's demand for separate state

The Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO) has backed the Garoland State Movement Committee's (GSMC) call for a separate ‘Garoland’.

Donbok Dkhar, president of HITO, stated that the organization supports the Council of Nokmas (the apex traditional body) in their demands for special recognition and that they are part of the Grand Council of Chiefs of Meghalaya, which includes the Federation of Khasi States, for their support on the demand of the Khasi States as per the treaty of the Instrument of Accession and Annexed Agreement, which was signed and accepted by the Governor General of India on August 17, 1948.

The president of HITO in his statement has asked all political parties to make their stand clear on the issue. 

Meghalaya became a state in 1972, while Arunachal and Mizoram became states in 1987. Then, in 2000, Chattisgarh, Uttaranchal (renamed Uttrakhand in 2007), and Jharkhand were formed from MP, Bihar, and UP, he added.

Dkhar further stated that the Khasi State's demand comprises the 54 Hima/Elaka and 19 Elaka in the Jaintia Hills, encompassing Khasi villages and Hima lands in Assam and Bangladesh.

The HITO chief stated that Telangana was separated from Andhra Pradesh in 2014. Jammu and Kashmir ceased to exist in October 2019 (due to a court challenge in the Supreme Court), and two UTs were established: the UT of J&K and the UT of Ladakh.

“So today we have 28 States and 9 UTs. There is full justification for creating more states in India but in Meghalaya, the HITO would like to be clear about the demand for a state the status of the Khasi States mentioned in the First Schedule strangely within Assam is a constitutional anomaly as we will accept a new Khasi State only as per the IOA & AA in a special article 370A so as to restore the National Assembly of the Khasi States inaugurated by the Governor of Assam on 29 April 1949 comprising  25 Chiefs, 56 MLAs elected from the Khasi States and 8 nominated (4 men and 4 women)”, Dkhar said.