The Garoland State Movement Committee (GSMC) has adopted a set of strong and wide-ranging resolutions that seek to place major restrictions on non-tribals in the Garo Hills region. The decisions were taken at a meeting of the Central Executive Committee of the GSMC held in Tura on January 10 and are expected to trigger serious political and legal discussion in the coming days.
The meeting was chaired by Acting Chairman Balkarin Ch. Marak, who spoke at length on tribal rights and the constitutional safeguards provided under the Sixth Schedule. Co-Chairman Jakrak A. Sangma delivered the welcome address, while Ryan Ch. Marak spoke about what he described as the changing character of Tura town. The vote of thanks was proposed by General Secretary Tony Tojrang B. Marak.
In a press release issued after the meeting, the GSMC said that all resolutions were discussed in detail and were adopted unanimously. One of the key resolutions opposed the involvement of non-tribals in business activities in Tura and called for restrictions on the entry of non-tribals into the Garo Hills region. 
The Committee also proposed new conditions related to identity documents. It resolved that residents of A•chik A•song and Sixth Schedule areas should be issued Election Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) only between the ages of 18 and 20. For non-tribals, EPIC cards would be valid for only two years. In another decision, the GSMC proposed that non-tribals should be allowed to obtain Aadhaar cards for their children only between the ages of three and eight.
On governance issues, the GSMC renewed its demand for the removal of municipalities from Garo Hills, referring to Article 243(ZC) of the Constitution, which keeps Sixth Schedule areas outside the municipal system. It also raised strong objections to the one-percent charge collected by the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council on house construction and demanded that the charge be withdrawn immediately for tribal Garos.
The Committee further resolved that non-tribals should not be allowed to work under the GHADC and should neither vote nor contest in upcoming council elections. It also demanded that all government and development contracts in Garo Hills be awarded only to tribal Garos, calling for the cancellation of existing non-tribal contract registrations in line with the State Reservation Policy.
Other resolutions included a call for strict action under the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, 2016, and concerns raised by the New Tura Development Forum regarding the cancellation of non-objection certificates for non-tribals doing business in Tura.
