Meghalaya

The government of Meghalaya has decided to postpone the April 10 elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) following recent violence in the region that claimed two lives. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said the decision was taken after reviewing the prevailing law and order situation in the Garo Hills. “Looking at the current situation in Garo Hills and understanding the difficulties people are facing at the moment, the Government of Meghalaya has decided to postpone GHADC elections,” Sangma said in a video message on Wednesday. Officials said the situation in West Garo Hills district remained calm but tense, with the district administration extending curfew until midnight of March 13. Authorities have also continued the suspension of mobile internet services in t...

The Meghalaya government has indefinitely postponed the elections for the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), originally scheduled for April 10, due to violence that erupted over a controversial notification preventing non-tribal individuals from contesting. Following the unrest, which resulted in two fatalities, a curfew was imposed, and internet services were suspended. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma stated that the decision reflects the current situation and public sentiment and indicated that discussions will take place to determine the future course of action regarding the elections.

The Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE) has deferred exams for two papers of the Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate (HSSLC) examination in the West Garo Hills district as a precautionary measure in the wake of clashes between tribal and non-tribal groups over the nomination process for the GHADC polls. According to the board, the Music and Anthropology papers of the Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate (HSSLC) examination scheduled for March 11 and March 12 have been deferred in the district. “The HSSLC examinations scheduled for March 11 (Music) and March 12 (Anthropology) stand cancelled for West Garo Hills only. The same will be rescheduled on dates to be notified later,” said T. R. Laloo, Director of Accreditation and Controller of Examinations of M. Bose. ...

Police in West Garo Hills have ruled out police firing as the cause of death of two persons during the clash that broke out in Chibinang on Monday night.The clarification came after post-mortem examinations were conducted on the bodies at Tura Civil Hospital. The autopsy revealed that one of the victims died after being attacked with a sharp weapon, while the other suffered fatal gunshot injuries from a country- made pistol. Superintendent of Police Abraham T. Sangma said police personnel who were deployed to control the situation had fired blank rounds in an attempt to disperse the clashing groups. However, the post-mortem findings confirmed that no standard police-issued weapons were responsible for the deaths.

A tragic road accident in Nongthymmai claimed the life of a 30-year-old woman late Tuesday night after she allegedly fell from a moving scooter and was run over by a truck. The incident took place around 10:35 pm near the Jyll Shop area in Shillong. The deceased has been identified as S.M. Sangma (30), a resident of Lawmali. According to sources, Sangma was travelling on a scooter driven by her husband, N.D. Shira (32), when the accident occurred. Preliminary reports suggest that the rider attempted to overtake a truck along the busy stretch. During the manoeuvre, Sangma is suspected to have lost balance and fallen from the scooter onto the road. Moments later, she was reportedly run over by the truck, resulting in severe head injuries that proved fatal. Her husband, who was riding the...

On Wednesday, CVD Diengdoh, the Commissioner and Secretary of the District Council Affairs Department in Meghalaya, announced that the State Government is closely monitoring the law-and-order situation in West Garo Hills. This comes amidst the ongoing nomination process for council elections in other Garo Hills districts, even as security measures intensify due to recent violence. To ensure safety ahead of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council Elections scheduled for April 10, 2026, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed, and the Army has conducted a flag march in the area to maintain order and restore public confidence. The region has experienced unrest following the reported deaths of two civilians in clashes that started Monday and persisted into Tuesday. Despite th...

The Meghalaya High Court annulled the notification from the Executive Committee of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), issued on February 17, which required candidates in the upcoming GHADC elections to provide a Scheduled Tribe certificate. This ruling allows non-tribal candidates to participate in the polls scheduled for April 10. Justice Hamarsan Thangkhiew stated that the amendment rules concerning this issue should have been sanctioned by the GHADC Executive Committee, approved by the Members of the District Council (MDCs), and assented by the Governor. The court highlighted that the notification was improperly issued without council approval. The ruling comes amid heightened tension in Garo Hills, sparked by protests from non-tribals against the initial requirement, ...

The administration of Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district has requested the Indian Army to conduct a flag march in sensitive areas following unrest linked to the upcoming elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC). West Garo Hills District Magistrate Vibhor Aggarwal made the request on Tuesday in a letter addressed to the Commanding Officer of the 101 Area, Eastern Command. The move comes after communal tension and public unrest were reported in several plain-belt villages of the district during the ongoing GHADC election process. In the letter, the district magistrate stated that the administration was seeking the army’s assistance in carrying out a flag march in the affected areas due to the tense law and order situation. He said the situation had become sens...

Two people were killed on Monday night after violence erupted in West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya over a controversial notification that barred non-tribal candidates from contesting the upcoming elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), scheduled for April 10. Reports said the violence broke out in the Chibinang area after dusk and continued late into the night. Clashes occurred between tribal and non-tribal groups, while several shops were vandalized and some were set on fire. Police had to open fire in an attempt to bring the situation under control. However, it remains unclear how the two individuals lost their lives. Authorities had anticipated possible unrest due to rising tensions in the district. As a precautionary measure, mobile internet service...

A wave of grief and volatile tension has gripped Meghalaya’s Garo Hills region following a tragic incident of police firing that resulted in the deaths of two individuals and left several others injured during a period of strict curfew. The violence erupted as long-standing political rivalries and ethnic sensitivities reached a boiling point in the lead-up to the crucial Garo Hills Autonomous District Council elections, prompting authorities to scramble for control over a rapidly deteriorating security situation. According to local reports, the unrest began when a large group of protesters defied prohibitory orders to gather near a government establishment, leading to a heated confrontation with security forces who were attempting to enforce a total shutdown in the area. Witnesses claim t...