Tura (Meghalaya): The All A.chik Youth Federation (AAYF), Central Executive Board, has called for the exclusion of non-tribals from the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) elections, asserting that the council is a constitutionally protected institution meant exclusively for the Garo tribal community.
In a press statement issued from its headquarters in Tura, the AAYF said the Garo Hills region falls under Clause (2) of Article 244 of the Constitution of India as a Sixth Schedule area, under which the GHADC was established on April 14, 1952, to safeguard tribal rights and preserve Garo culture, tradition and identity.
The federation stated that the GHADC was created specifically for the welfare and protection of the Garo people, in keeping with the spirit and intent of the Sixth Schedule, which is designed to protect the interests of tribal communities.
It expressed concern that, historically, non-tribals have participated in GHADC elections, which it attributed to a lack of awareness in the early years about the full scope of tribal rights guaranteed under the Sixth Schedule.
Maintaining that the council “must remain an institution exclusively for the Garo people”, the AAYF said allowing non-tribals to contest or participate in GHADC elections undermines the constitution Article of the Sixth Schedule and weakens the safeguards meant to protect tribal identity, rights and sentiments.
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The federation argued that there is no legal requirement for a separate electoral roll for GHADC elections, as the intent of the Sixth Schedule is clear that Autonomous District Councils are meant solely for tribal communities.
In this regard, the AAYF urged the District Election Officer and Returning Officer of Garo Hills to disqualify any non-tribal candidates at the scrutiny stage of nominations and to refrain from issuing voter slips to non-tribal voters for the GHADC elections.
The organisation clarified that it does not oppose non-tribal participation in State Assembly or Parliamentary elections, stating that those institutions function under different constitutional frameworks.
The AAYF said its appeal is aimed at raising public awareness on the issue and drawing the attention of the authorities to what it described as the constitutional mandate of the Sixth Schedule in protecting tribal institutions and rights.
