Shillong: District Council Affairs Minister Prestone Tynsong on Wednesday said the Meghalaya government cannot be blamed for the recent violence in the Garo Hills region, stating that the matter primarily concerns the functioning and decisions of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), which operates independently.
Addressing reporters, Tynsong explained that autonomous district councils possess legislative, executive and judicial powers similar to a government within their jurisdiction. “You cannot blame the government because the district council has its own authority. They have legislative, executive and judicial powers, more or less like the state government,” he said.
The minister noted that the controversy stems from a notification issued by the GHADC Executive Committee concerning the requirement of a Scheduled Tribe certificate for candidates contesting the council elections. Referring to a recent order of the Meghalaya High Court, Tynsong said the court pointed out procedural lapses in the notification, observing that the decision had not followed the proper legislative process.
According to him, any major decision by a district council must first be approved by the Executive Committee and then placed before the House for discussion and approval. Only after the House passes the amendment can it be sent to the Governor for assent. “In this case, the process was incomplete and not in accordance with established procedures,” he said.
Tynsong added that the council itself could have convened a special session to deliberate on the issue if it was aware of the public sentiment surrounding the matter.
Meanwhile, the minister confirmed that the state government has decided to postpone the GHADC elections scheduled for April 10 after the law and order situation in Garo Hills deteriorated. The decision was taken following a review meeting with Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and after receiving inputs from various districts in the region.
Violence has been reported in several parts of Garo Hills, including Tura and Williamnagar, with incidents such as the burning of a National People’s Party office and damage to a mosque. Tynsong described the incidents as unfortunate and appealed to residents, NGOs and other stakeholders to maintain peace.
He said additional security personnel have been deployed after the Ministry of Home Affairs provided extra forces, and expressed hope that the situation would soon return to normal.
On reports of two deaths during the violence, Tynsong said the matter is currently under examination and it appears that the deaths may not have been caused by police firing. A detailed inquiry is underway to ascertain the exact circumstances, he added. The minister also confirmed that four injured persons are receiving medical treatment and the district administration has been instructed to ensure proper care.
Clarifying the nature of the protests, Tynsong said the issue should not be linked to the demand for the Inner Line Permit in Meghalaya. According to him, the agitation by certain NGOs centres on their demand that non-tribals should not be allowed to contest GHADC elections.
The minister further informed that the state cabinet will meet on Thursday evening to deliberate on the next course of action in view of the evolving situation.