GUWAHATI

Several pressure groups have petitioned the chief of a tribal council in Meghalaya to amend existing laws and create a separate electoral roll for the council elections, excluding non-tribal voters. 

The elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), scheduled for April 10, were postponed following violence related to nominations filed by non-tribal candidates, mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims. Two people were killed in March after the police opened fire on mobs that went on the rampage in the Chibinang area of the State’s West Garo Hills district.

In the joint memorandum, the groups sought swift action from Dhormonath Ch. Sangma, the Chief Executive Member of the GHADS. The groups were the Association of Democratic Empowerment, the A’chik Holistic Awakening Movement, the A’chik Youth Welfare Organisation, the Federation of A’chik Freedom, the Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People, and the Garo Students’ Union.

Demanding electoral reforms, the groups argued that allowing non-tribal people to vote or contest in a tribal council election violated the spirit of the Sixth Schedule. “The elections to the GHADC warrant restricting voting rights and candidature to members of the Scheduled Tribes (ST) in Meghalaya,” a spokesperson of the organisations said, warning that the possession of an ST certificate may not prevent proxy voting or representation

Bar on non-tribal candidates for Meghalaya tribal council polls stokes controversy

The groups pointed out that the Garo Hills District (Transfer of Land) Act, 1955 and the Meghalaya Transfer of Land (Regulation) Act, 1972 prohibit non-tribal people from owning land in Sixth Schedule areas, but weak enforcement and low penalties failed to stop violations. They sought stricter penalties, including fines running into lakhs of rupees.

The petition urged Mr. Sangma and his team to initiate necessary reforms to protect tribal rights, identity, and interests, and promote long-term peace in the region.

The GHADC has 30 constituencies. Muslims are a majority in at least five of these seats straddling the plains belt of West Garo Hills district.

On March 24, Meghalaya Governor Chandrashekhar H. Vijayashankar granted his assent to a new legislation of the GHADC, barring non-tribal people from contesting the tribal council polls. Tribal groups later said a similar law should apply to non-tribal voters, too.