Shillong: The Garo Cultural Forum, Assam, took action on Thursday. They pressed Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to fund the protection of local Garo traditions. Members handed over a formal memorandum during the Wangala Festival at Chibragre. The Chief Minister attended the event as the guest of honor.
Forum president Desal Bimik Marak and secretary Raksil Marak signed the document. They want a steady annual grant for the Wangala Festival. The group has run this harvest celebration since October 18, 2022. They organize the event alongside the Garo Students’ Union, Assam State Zone, and the Garo Sahitya Sabha. The organizers currently struggle with the high costs of building bamboo stages every year.
The memorandum demands a permanent multi-purpose stage at Chotipara. This site sits inside the Goalpara West ST Assembly constituency. They also want to build traditional Nokmong and Nokpante houses. These structures rely on bamboo, timber, cane, and thatch. The forum plans a research center to guard their history. "The centre would serve as a platform for cultural preservation and academic research while attracting scholars, students, and tourists," the group stated.
The facility would store folk literature and agricultural tools. It would house indigenous handloom items like the Dakmanda. Officials also want to display instruments including the Dama, Kram, and Adil. They hope the state government will step in to save their legacy.
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