Meghalaya tribal council approves rules to bar non-tribals from voting, contesting elections

The Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) in Meghalaya on Monday, August 10, approved amendments to its election rules that will bar non-tribals from voting or contesting council elections and pave the way for a separate electoral roll for the Sixth Schedule body, officials said.

The amendments to Rules 128 and 129 were approved by the council to establish a separate electoral roll specifically for GHADC elections, replacing the practice of using the electoral roll prepared for Assembly elections.

The GHADC, established in 1952 under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, had for decades conducted its elections using the electoral roll prepared for Assembly polls, allowing people from different communities to participate in the council’s electoral process.

Under the amended rules, only members of Scheduled Tribes recognised by the Meghalaya government and meeting other prescribed conditions will be eligible for inclusion in the GHADC electoral roll.

“The amendment marks a significant step in protecting the rights and interests of the tribal people of Garo Hills. With a separate electoral roll, non-tribals will no longer be able to participate in GHADC elections either as voters or candidates,” Chief Executive Member M Dhormonath Ch Sangma said.

The move follows violent incidents in the Garo Hills region earlier this year after authorities issued a notification seeking to bar non-tribals from contesting GHADC elections, breaking with an electoral practice that had continued for more than seven decades.

The Meghalaya High Court subsequently cancelled the notification, while the state government postponed the GHADC elections, which had been scheduled for April 10, following violence in which two people were killed.

The separate electoral roll has been a long-standing demand in Garo Hills, with its supporters arguing that the electoral process of a Sixth Schedule institution should provide greater protection to tribal interests and allow indigenous communities greater control over their affairs.

The latest amendment also follows a decision approved by the council in March to make Scheduled Tribe status an eligibility criterion for contesting GHADC elections.

The new rules therefore mark a significant departure from the electoral practice followed since the creation of the GHADC and are expected to alter the composition of its electorate.

The move is also in line with a commitment made by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to address the demand for a separate electoral roll for the autonomous council.

The amendment was passed by the council’s House. Tura MDC Rimpu Marak was absent when the matter was taken up and approved.

The GHADC is headquartered in Tura, the administrative headquarters of West Garo Hills district.