Baghmara, June 28: Various Garo organizations from South Garo Hills staged a protest rally against the poor road condition and demanded early construction of the national highway that connects Gasuapara to Baghmara, the district headquarters.
A conglomerate of student and social organizations, namely AHAM, ADE, AYWO, FKJGP, GSU, NGCO, along with the Nokma of Gasuapara and the public on Friday took out a protest rally from Gasuapara playground to the Gasuapara development block shouting slogans demanding that work on the highway start at the earliest.
The road between Dalu in West Garo Hills and Baghmara in South Garo Hills, passing through Gasuapara, is the main lifeline for the people of South Garo Hills.
It was earlier a state highway known as NH-62 but has now been taken over by the national highway authorities and renamed as NH-217.
It starts from Damra in Assam, passes through Nangalbibra and Baghmara all the way to Dalu. It is a crucial economic hub for the state as it passes through the coal export point of Gasuapara, from where export of coal and other minerals is made to neighbouring Bangladesh.
Women protest leader Premadona Ch Marak, who is also AHAM vice president in Gasuapara, said that they took up the protest because life had become unbearable for anyone to travel on the highway.
“We cannot go to Baghmara with the sick patients because they cannot endure the terrible journey. So we have to take them to Dalu health centre in the neighbouring West Garo Hills district,” says Premadona Marak. She blamed the former Baghmara MLA Samual Sangma for failing to fulfill his promise to restore the road condition even after being an elected leader for over 15 years.
FKJGP general secretary Chunang R Marak said that even though South Garo Hills became a district on 18 June 1992, the roads have remained the same.
“There are three MLAs from south Garo Hills, all part of the ruling government,” mentions Marak and recalls their meeting with education minister and Siju-Rongara MLA Rakkam A Sangma.
“When we met Rakkam Sangma, he assured us that work will start quickly on the road. That has not been fulfilled,” says the FKJGP leader.
The AHAM central body general secretary Clinton R Marak blamed successive governments for the failure to develop the roads in the district.
“Because successive governments did not look into the problem we now have craters replacing potholes. Today’s protest was not just by us Garos. Even people from other communities, including hajongs, Koch, muslims, hindus and others joined the rally because everyone is affected by this situation,” claims the AHAM leader.
He added that there is a conflict over jurisdiction as well, with the state PWD washing its hands over repair of the road while the national highway authorities say they will not repair but reconstruct the entire road.
“But there is a delay in the reconstruction. To try and give a temporary solution to the problem the state PWD dumps soil onto the craters which only makes the situation worse during the rains as no vehicle or human can pass over it due to the sludge,” says Clinton Marak.
The Niksamso Garo Community Organization’s leader Arjun Marak pointed to the plight of the sick and the elderly who have to travel on this road enduring extreme hardships.
“To go to Tura for advanced medical care, the sick either have to travel on this damaged road and endure severe pain or risk death from elephant attacks by using the border road where there is an elephant infestation and attacks are happening frequently. Development aspect of South Garo Hills is the most neglected, even though Meghalaya’s first chief minister came from here,” stated the Niksamso leader.
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