Kokrajhar, June 1: Garo organisations and two indigenous groups have demanded representations from Garo and Rabha communities in the Bodoland Territorial Council, contending that they are among the three Scheduled Tribes living in the belt.

The All Assam Garo Sahitya Sabha, the All Assam Garo Union, the Udalguri district committee of the Garo Students’ Union, the Garo Women’s Federation and the Garo Women’s Wing have made the demand, besides the All Assam Tribal Sangha and the All Assam Tribal Youth League.

Pa Sengnab Ch. Momin, general secretary of the Garo Students’ Union, said the Garo community has been deprived of its political rights since the formation of erstwhile Bodo Autonomous Council and little has changed with the formation of the BTC.

“There is a large population of Garos in almost all the four districts of the BTC and the authorities should not ignore the demands for representation of the community which is constitutionally provisioned for unrepresented communities,” he said.

The Garo organisations named Karbinson A. Sangma of Udalguri as a proposed candidate for the nominated member from unrepresented community and his candidature has been supported by a number of Garo NGOs of the region.

The All Assam Tribal Sangha and the All Assam Tribal Youth League also demanded nomination of members from Garo and Rabha communities in the BTC Assembly.

The All Assam Tribal Sangha secretary, Aditya Kaklary, and the All Assam Tribal Youth League secretary, P. Ferenga Brahma, said the BTC was created to safeguard the rights of the indigenous population of the region, especially in the Bodo belt.