Two people were killed in a police firing in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills on Tuesday during the ongoing night curfew, which was imposed amid protests over the participation of non-tribal candidates in the Garo Hills autonomous district council elections scheduled for April 10, police said.
The two deaths prompted authorities to impose a 24-hour curfew, call for an army flag march, and deploy additional forces as tensions continue to spread across the plains belt.
“I respectfully request the assistance of the Army to conduct the flag march in the plain belt areas of West Garo Hills district, in view of the prevailing tense legal and order situation,” West Garo Hills District Magistrate Vibhor Agarwal wrote to the Commander of 101 District, Eastern Command. “The presence of the armed forces will greatly help in reassuring the public, preventing any further untoward incidents and restoring confidence among the population,” Agarwal said, adding that the flag march would serve as a “clear demonstration of preparedness and commitment to maintaining peace and stability.”
The unrest began last week when nominations for the GHADC elections opened and the council sought Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates for candidates contesting the polls – sparking support and opposition to the move across the region.
The situation worsened after protesters outside the deputy commissioner’s office in Tura allegedly blocked and assaulted former Fulbari MLA Esmatur Mominin from filing his nomination, sparking demonstrations in the plains belt region. The former MLA was rescued by police and was seen entering a police car limping and without his left shoe.
On Monday, unrest had already intensified after shops were vandalized in Chipinang, with police resorting to point-blank shooting to disperse the mob. The shooting occurred in the early hours of Tuesday morning when security personnel attempted to disperse a crowd of people during curfew restrictions.
Officials say security measures have now been intensified across the vulnerable areas, with police and district authorities closely monitoring the situation. With two deaths, curfew restrictions, vandalism and calls for army deployment, the controversy over the GHADC poll has now developed into a full-blown law and order crisis in parts of West Garo Hills, raising concerns about how the tense situation may impact the run-up to next month’s assembly elections.
