Tura, March 24: The Garo Students’ Union (GSU) has urged Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma to expedite the process to declare Tura as the Winter Capital of Meghalaya, calling it an “obligation to historical justice and equitable statecraft”.

In a letter to the Chief Minister on Sunday, GSU Central Executive Committee President Teng’sak Gabil Momin underscored the longstanding demand of ‘institutionalizing Tura as the Winter Capital of Meghalaya’, a demand rooted in the aspirations of the Garo Hills populace and the broader imperative of equitable governance. He said this measure would not merely redress historical asymmetries but also catalyze administrative efficacy, socio-economic parity, and interregional cohesion.

He further mentioned that the current administration is ‘disproportionately anchored’ in Shillong, which engenders systemic inefficiencies and exacerbates the marginalization of Garo Hills. He argued that having Tura as a Winter Capital would result in a bifurcated yet synergistic governance model, ensuring year-round proximity of state machinery to all citizenry.

“Such decentralization would attenuate logistical bottlenecks, expedite decision-making, and invigorate infrastructural and economic proliferation in regions hitherto neglected, thereby bridging the chasm between the Garo and Khasi-Jaintia realms,” he claimed.

Also highlighting the cultural and political significance of Tura to the Garo people, the GSU said that elevating the town’s administrative role would also help bridge the trust gap between different ethnic and regional communities in the state. “Its (Tura) elevation to Winter Capital would constitute a symbolic and pragmatic affirmation of the state’s commitment to pluralism, thereby assuaging perceptions of ethno-regional neglect and cementing mutual trust among Meghalaya’s diverse demography,” he said.

The GSU also pointed to precedents from other Indian states, such as Jammu & Kashmir (Srinagar-Jammu) and Himachal Pradesh (Shimla-Dharamshala), where bifurcated capitals have been adopted to accommodate geographic and climatic realities.

Economically, the union believes that a seasonal capital in Tura would spur investment in tourism, agro-industries, and infrastructure, generating employment and improving livelihoods in the region.

Referring to the establishment of the Governor’s House in Tura in 2005 and President Droupadi Murmu’s visit in 2024, the GSU said that these symbolic gestures now need to be followed by structural reforms. He urged the Chief Minister to initiate consultations with legislators, civil society groups, and other stakeholders, and to bring forward a legislative proposal to formally establish Tura as the Winter Capital.

Read: NEHU student unions urge non-teaching staff to defy VC, Registrar’s orders

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