Shillong : The Voice of the People’s Party (VPP) has strongly condemned the recent violence in West Garo Hills and urged authorities to take strict action against those responsible for instigating unrest.
Addressing the issue, VPP spokesperson Londoner Murphy Sohtun expressed serious concern over the deteriorating law-and-order situation in the Garo Hills region.
“On behalf of the VPP, I would like to express my serious and deep concern over the recent fallout of the law and order situation in the Garo Hills region,” Sohtun said.
He emphasized that the party does not support violence of any form and strongly condemned incidents targeting the Garo community, describing them as the indigenous tribal community of the region.
“The VPP does not condone and never will condone any form of violence. We strongly condemn this violence which aims and targets the Garo community,” he said.
Sohtun noted that the tribal communities of Garo Hills have historically upheld a tradition of peaceful coexistence and warned that attempts to create communal tension must be treated with extreme caution.
The party also urged authorities to immediately investigate the incidents and take strong action against individuals responsible for instigating violence.
Reaffirming the party’s stance on tribal self-governance, Sohtun said the VPP stands firmly with the tribal people of Garo Hills and remains committed to protecting their constitutional rights, cultural identity and traditional governing systems.
Referring to provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, he said institutions such as the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) were established to ensure that tribal communities remain the primary decision-makers on matters related to land, culture and development.
According to Sohtun, participation in the GHADC electoral process should remain exclusively with tribal communities.
“The VPP firmly believes that participation in the electoral process of the GHADC is the exclusive right of the tribal people. Non-tribal participation will undermine the very foundation upon which this autonomous council was created,” he said.
Appealing for peace, the VPP leader urged the people of Garo Hills to refrain from violence and maintain unity.
“I earnestly request my Garo brothers to kindly refrain from any form of violence. The VPP will always continue to support your fight for constitutional rights through democratic, peaceful and non-violent approaches,” he added.