Shillong, April 11: In a decisive step towards preserving the rich indigenous heritage of the Garo people, the Directorate of Arts and Culture, Government of Meghalaya, has officially notified a high-level meeting of the constituted Committee for the Preservation of Garo Culture and Heritage.
The meeting is scheduled for 15th April 2025 and will be convened at the Tura Circuit House, under the chairmanship of the Minister, Shri Marcuise N. Marak, who also serves as the Chairman of the Committee.
This meeting marks a significant milestone in the State Government’s broader cultural preservation initiative, focusing on safeguarding the intangible and tangible heritage of the Garo tribe, one of the major indigenous communities of Meghalaya.
The agenda is expected to cover critical issues including cultural documentation, oral tradition preservation, language promotion, architectural conservation, and the sustainable development of cultural sites.
According to the official notice issued by the Directorate of Arts and Culture, the meeting will bring together representatives from multiple government departments, researchers, local administrators, and cultural custodians. Notably, the Deputy Commissioner of West Garo Hills has been requested to make the necessary arrangements to facilitate this high-level deliberation.
The Garo people have a distinct identity shaped by centuries of oral traditions, clan-based social systems, and sacred customs. In recent years, concerns have mounted over the erosion of traditional values due to urbanization, generational gaps, and lack of structured institutional support. The meeting thus represents not just a bureaucratic gathering, but an intellectual, cultural, and moral call to action.
“This meeting is about more than policies—it is about legacy, identity, and the future of an indigenous civilization,” said a senior official from the Directorate. “The Government of Meghalaya is taking active steps to ensure that development does not come at the cost of cultural extinction.”
Experts believe that such initiatives also strengthen Meghalaya’s position within the framework of the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which provides autonomous administrative and legislative powers to tribal communities in the Northeast.
It also aligns with the Government of India’s broader vision of celebrating and integrating the indigenous knowledge systems of the Northeast within the national cultural discourse.
As Meghalaya stands at the crossroads of tradition and modernity, the April 15 meeting will be closely watched by scholars, policymakers, civil society organizations, and youth leaders who are invested in ensuring that the Garo legacy is not only preserved but reimagined for generations to come.
