Garo National Council

Garo National Council in Meghalaya was found with the mission to create a separate state for the members of the Garo tribe, who along with Khasi form a major part of the tribal population of Meghalaya. The party did not enjoy great popularity in the early days. However, there have been signs of the party gaining popularity as the last results from the Garo hills district polls show.

Garo National Council: Formation and Objectives

The Garos form a prominent ethnic presence in the state of Meghalaya. Although numerically less than the Khasis who comprise the major ethnicity of the state, the Garos are the largest tribal groups in the East, West and South Garo hills districts. The Garo National Council of Meghalaya wants to create a separate state for the Garos, as they feel their culture to be facing the brunt of Khasi cultural hegemony. However, their operations are not to be confused with the militant Achik National Volunteer Council, who wants to create Garo land not only with the Garo inhabitants of Meghalaya, but also with parts of Assam and Bangladesh.

The Position of Garo National Council in Meghalaya

Garo National Council (GNC) did not enjoy great popularity in the early part of their establishment. They managed to win just one seat in the 2002 Garo Hills autonomous district council elections. But the situation was quite different in the 2004 elections, when the number rose to four. The performance of Garo National Council at Meghalaya was equally dismal in the assembly votes of 2003. But with the improvement of the party's position in the district council elections, their performance can be amply improved in the forthcoming assembly elections as well.