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Two people were killed in violence linked to a controversial notification barring non-tribal people from contesting the April 10 elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) in Meghalaya on Monday night (March 9, 2026).
The violence broke out after dusk and continued till late at night, mainly in the Chibinang area of West Garo Hills district. Officials confirmed the deaths but did not specify the circumstances in which the two people were killed.
Locals said the victims were two unidentified persons who died when the police allegedly opened fire to restore order following clashes between tribal and non-tribal groups. The non-tribal population in the area largely comprises Bengali-speaking Muslims. Mobs vandalised and torched several shops and structures, including an office of the Garo Students’ Union.
Tensions had been building in the non-tribal belt of West Garo Hills district after the GHADC issued a notification on February 17, making it mandatory for all candidates contesting the council elections to possess a Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate. At least five of the 30 GHADC constituencies are in the non-tribal belt.
Former legislator S.G. Esmatur Mominin termed the notification “unconstitutional”. On Monday (March 9), he and another person were allegedly assaulted when they went to Tura, the district headquarters, to submit their nominations for the council polls.
Anticipating unrest, the district administration suspended mobile internet services for 48 hours and imposed restrictions on the movement of people under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. Defiance of the restrictions triggered mob violence.
West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Vibhor Aggarwal said the situation remained tense on Tuesday (March 10, 2026). “We have called in additional forces. The Army and paramilitary forces, including the CRPF, are being deployed. The Army will also conduct a flag march,” he said.
He said the administration also convened a peace committee meeting in Tura with leaders of different communities to help restore normalcy.
The ST certificate requirement, followed by another notification prohibiting non-tribal people from acquiring land in the Garo Hills region, stems from years of demands by Garo organisations to make the GHADC a tribal-only administrative body.
The GHADC is one of three tribal councils in Meghalaya created under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. The others are the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council and the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council, in the eastern part of the State.
The 30-member GHADC currently has two non-tribal elected members. Nominations for the council elections, which began on Monday, will continue till March 16, while scrutiny of papers is scheduled for March 17.
Published – March 10, 2026 12:06 pm IST
