Shillong, March 27: The Deputy Commissioner of West Garo Hills, Jagdish Chelani, and CEO of Tura Municipal Board (TMB), Rikse R. Marak, are in the eye of a storm following the demolition of the World War I Cenotaph in Tura, with the Joint NGOs Forum demanding their removal for the “unforgivable act”.

The forum along with other Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) met with the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma in Tura on Thursday, and demanded removal of the West Garo Hills DC and TMB CEO in order to “restore justice and accountability”. “The continued presence of the Deputy Commissioner and the CEO of TMB in their respective offices is no longer tenable, as their actions have irreparably damaged public trust and institutional integrity. Their removal from office is not just a matter of administrative reshuffling but a necessity to uphold democratic accountability and restore faith in the governance of West Garo Hills,” the forum said in the petition.

It also demanded scrapping of the tender for the renovation of the Cenotaph, and to call for a new tendering process in full compliance with legal and ethical guidelines. The establishment of an independent oversight committee is critical to ensure that any redevelopment undertaken is conducted with full transparency, public participation, and due respect for the cultural sensitivities of the indigenous people of Tura, he added.

It said the cenotaph is not just a structure of stone and mortar but a sacred monument and a symbol of honour and remembrance for the Garo warriors who fought alongside the Allied forces as well as an embodiment of collective identity, sacrifice, and historical consciousness.

It asserted that destruction of the cenotaph, carried out without due consultation or public consensus, is an “unforgivable act” of administrative insensitivity that disregards the emotional and historical ties that the Garo people hold with their ancestors.

The redevelopment of the site of such immense cultural significance to the Garos, it requested, must not be dictated by bureaucratic convenience or financial opportunism but must truly reflect the will and aspirations of the people. As such, the formation of an inclusive committee comprising representatives from civil society, indigenous cultural bodies, legal experts, and historians will ensure that due process is followed and that no future violations of this magnitude occur, the forum suggested.

The forum noted that such a body will serve as a safeguard against any further attempts to undermine indigenous participation in matters of cultural and historical importance.

It also highlighted several procedural flaws and a lack of transparency, such as the alleged absence of an official notification for the tendering process and the failure to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Tura Town Planning Board for the project.

The petition also highlighted several procedural lapses and a lack of transparency in the Cenotaph renovation project, including the absence of an alleged official tender notification, failure to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Tura Town Planning Board, alleged arbitrary awarding of tenders, lack of public consultation. It also claimed that these actions violate both national laws and international instruments like the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and International Labour Organization’s Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, which mandates the right to free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) for all projects impacting indigenous lands, resources, and identity.

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