Firing during curfew leaves two dead in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills amid GHADC poll tensions

Two persons were killed in police firing early Tuesday, March 10 after security personnel attempted to disperse an unlawful assembly during curfew hours in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district, officials said. The incident has intensified tensions in the region ahead of the upcoming elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) scheduled for April 10.

 

The firing took place in Chibinang village, where unrest had been building in recent days following clashes between tribal and non-tribal groups linked to the GHADC election process. According to police sources, security forces intervened after a group gathered despite the night curfew imposed across several sensitive areas of the district.

 

Officials said the situation escalated during the police intervention, prompting personnel to open fire in an attempt to disperse the crowd. Two people sustained fatal injuries in the incident. Authorities have not yet disclosed the identities of the deceased.

 

In the aftermath of the firing, the district administration imposed stricter restrictions across the district. The night curfew that had been earlier enforced was extended into a full-day clampdown across West Garo Hills to prevent further escalation of violence. Additional security forces have also been deployed in the area to maintain law and order.

 

The curfew had initially been imposed on Monday night across 37 villages identified as sensitive following protests by several local NGOs opposing the participation of non-tribal candidates in the nomination process for the GHADC elections. Authorities had enforced restrictions from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am during the nomination period scheduled from March 9 to March 16.

 

Meanwhile, administrative coordination efforts have also intensified along the inter-state border to prevent spillover of tensions. On Tuesday, officials from Assam’s Goalpara district held a meeting with their counterparts from North Garo Hills district of Meghalaya to discuss security preparedness ahead of upcoming elections in the region.

 

The meeting was held at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Resubelpara and focused on strengthening coordination between the two neighbouring districts, which share a long and sensitive border. Officials discussed possible movement and transportation of law-and-order forces as well as other administrative coordination measures.

 

Abhishek Saini, Deputy Commissioner of North Garo Hills, was among the senior officials present during the discussions. Authorities said close cooperation between the two districts is crucial to ensure stability in the border areas during the election period.

 

Security agencies remain on high alert as authorities attempt to prevent further unrest in the politically sensitive Garo Hills region.