SHILLONG, NOV 28: The Constitutional Rights Forum (CRF) has appealed to all political parties to stop giving tickets to non-tribals for the upcoming elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), citing provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
“..we humbly request you to instruct your party to stop giving party tickets to non-tribals for the GHADC elections and oppose their participation in the elections. This would be in line with the provisions of the Sixth Schedule and the Constitution of India, and would ensure the protection of the rights and interests of the tribal population,” the forum in a representation to the political parties that include NPP, TMC, Congress, NCP, UDP and others on Thursday.
“We are concerned that allowing non-tribals to participate in GHADC elections would undermine the rights and interests of the tribal population,” it added.
The GHADC is a special institution created for the welfare and development of the tribal population, and its administration and control should be vested in the hands of tribals, they argued.
“We will not entertain the upcoming MDC election in 2026 if non-tribals are allowed to participate,” the forum warned.
On the demand for separate electoral roll for GHADC, the forum said, “It has come to our notice that Opposition MDCs, Pressure Groups, and Citizens of Garo Hills are demanding a Separate Electoral Roll for GHADC. We would like to point out that this provision was meant exclusively for tribals, especially the Garo people, and not for non-tribals, for the establishment of GHADC. However, political parties have been misusing it since the beginning to gain benefits for their own parties, thereby destroying our cultural and customs, which non-tribals can never adopt. Please note that if a Separate Electoral Roll is passed, we will demand ST seats in our own Kingdom, which has already been given autonomy and authority under the provisions of the Indian Constitution by the Central Government.”
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