The Meghalaya government on Wednesday postponed the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council elections scheduled for April 10 after days of violence and rising tensions amid protests over the participation of non-tribal candidates.
Prime Minister Konrad K. said: Sangma said the government reviewed the situation on the ground before deciding to postpone the elections.
“Considering the current situation in Garo Hills and the difficulties faced by the people, the Meghalaya government has decided to postpone the GHADC elections,” Sangma said in a video message.
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. The state government had suspended mobile internet services in West Garo Hills for 48 hours to prevent the spread of rumors and inflammatory content on social media.
Social activist Cherian J. urged On Tuesday, the government decided to temporarily cancel the election schedule in view of the deteriorating law and order situation.
“In light of the violence and loss of lives, the government should consider withdrawing the GHADC election schedule until legal clarity is obtained,” Momen said, stressing that peace and constitutional clarity must take precedence over the polling process.
District Magistrate RB Marak said the restriction was imposed as a precautionary measure.
Maraq said: “The curfew was imposed to prevent any breach of security and to preserve lives and property in light of the prevailing situation.”
Meanwhile, authorities also clarified that the two deaths reported during the Chipinang violence were not caused by police shooting, citing post-mortem examination results.
A senior police officer monitoring the situation said that autopsies indicated that the victims died during clashes between rival groups. “One of the victims sustained injuries from a sharp weapon while the other was injured by a bullet from a home-made pistol,” the officer said, adding that there was no connection between the death and police firearms.
The unrest began last week when nominations for the GHADC elections opened and the council sought Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates from candidates contesting the polls – attracting 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.
The authorities called for calm as security forces continue to monitor sensitive areas while the government works to restore normal life in the Garo Hills.
