GUWAHATI: Two people were killed on Monday night after violence broke out in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district over a controversial notification barring non-tribals from contesting the April 10 elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC).
It was not clear how the two people died. Violence erupted in the Chibinang area after dusk and continued till late at night, with clashes reported between tribal and non-tribal groups. Several shops were vandalised or set on fire, and police had to open fire to restore order.
Tensions had been simmering in the district, and authorities had earlier suspended mobile internet services and imposed a curfew on Monday evening, anticipating trouble. Protesters, however, came out on the streets defying the curfew.
West Garo Hills District Magistrate Vibhor Aggarwal said the situation remained tense across the district.
“Additional forces have been called in. Paramilitary forces, including the CRPF, besides the Army are being deployed. The Army will also stage a flag march,” Aggarwal told the TNIE.
He added that a peace committee meeting with community leaders was held at the district headquarters in Tura. “We are taking various steps to restore normalcy,” he said.
Two non-tribals, including former MLA SG Esmatur Mominin, were allegedly manhandled or assaulted when they went to Tura to file nominations for the GHADC elections. The nomination filing process began on Monday.
The controversy stems from a notification issued last month by the GHADC making a Scheduled Tribes certificate mandatory for candidates contesting the council elections.
Several organisations had long demanded the exclusion of non-tribals from the GHADC, which was created along with the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council and the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to safeguard tribal rights.
The 30-seat GHADC currently has two non-tribal elected members, while the Garo Hills region has a sizeable non-tribal population.