Demands of Garos should be met without delay
The incident that took place on January 3, 2004 in the wake of constructing a wall to ringModhupurforest in pursuit of controversial eco-tourism project caused the death of an indigenous youth. It is a clear sign of unbending attitude of the government towards the demands of these indigenous people. Garos have been living there for generations. Their livelihood depends on the forest to considerable extent. In fact, they are inextricable part of the forest. They have distinct lifestyle and culture that should be given every opportunity to evolve without any sort of restraint. Our constitution also embraces the same spirit in Article 23, which states "The State shall adopt measures to conserve the culture and heritage of the people." But in the name of preserving environment, there is no reason to jeopardise their life as well as culture. So, we hope the government will reconsider the project once again in order to assuage the grievances of the ethnic group and make them believe that they are no longer discriminated against as a whole.
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