The Meghalaya government has decided to postpone the elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council(GHADC) after violent clashes in West Garo Hills district left two people dead. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Wednesday appealed for calm and urged residents, particularly those in the Garo Hills, to maintain peace as tensions remain high.
The violence broke out during protests over the participation of non-tribal candidates in the GHADC elections. Clashes intensified on Tuesday, prompting police to open fire to control the crowd, resulting in the deaths of two individuals. Authorities subsequently imposed a curfew and deployed security forces to stabilise the situation.
In a public appeal, Sangma urged citizens to remain calm amid the volatile atmosphere. He said the government had decided to cancel or postpone the GHADC elections due to the prevailing law and order situation.
“At this critical juncture, I appeal to all citizens of Meghalaya, especially those in Garo Hills, to maintain peace and law and order. Based on the prevailing situation, the government has decided to cancel or postpone the elections to the GHADC,” Sangma said in a social media post.
He also stated that the government would soon hold discussions with political parties and other stakeholders to address concerns surrounding the elections and work towards a consensus-based solution.
The unrest erupted during the nomination process for the council elections, with tensions escalating between tribal and non-tribal groups over their participation in the polls. During the clashes on Tuesday, police opened fire in Chibinang, killing two youths and triggering further unrest across the district.
Security has since been tightened across the region. Officials said five columns of the Indian Army have been deployed to assist the civil administration.
Three Army columns have been stationed in Tura, the divisional headquarters, while two others have been deployed in Chibinang, where the police firing occurred.
Personnel from the Rapid Action Force (RAF), along with additional state police forces, have also been deployed in sensitive areas across the Garo Hills region as authorities work to restore normalcy.
