“Garo Hills Unrest: Demographic Change and Native Insecurity”, My Ind Maker, March 23, 2026
“The recent unrest in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills District began when clashes broke out between local Garo people and Bangladeshi-origin Muslims on March 10 during the nomination process for the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) elections, leaving two persons dead in police firing and several properties damaged. Incidents of arson, vandalism and looting were reported in parts of Chibinang and Tura town bordering Assam and Bangladesh. An indefinite curfew was imposed. The Army was deployed along with the State Police and Paramilitary Forces to prevent further escalation. An Internet ban also came into force. It may be recalled that on February 17 this year, a notification issued by the Chief Executive Member of the GHADC declared that the Council’s Executive Committee had resolved that its members should “possess demonstrable status” as members of Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities recognised in Meghalaya.[1] It stated that this is required for “effective administration of tribal affairs and preservation of customary laws” since the GHADC has been constituted under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India. Accordingly, candidates for election to the GHADC had to produce a valid ST certificate.
It may be mentioned here that the GHADC, constituted in 1952, is one of the three Autonomous District Councils in Meghalaya exercising jurisdiction over the districts of East Garo Hills, West Garo Hills, South Garo Hills, and North Garo Hills. Late Capt. Williamson A. Sangma was its first Chief Executive Member. Power was vested in the Council under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution to administer and legislate on matters relating to the allotment, occupation, and use or settling of land. It is based in Tura, the headquarters of the West Garo Hills. The Council comprises of 30 members, and elections are held for 29. Two of its current members are Bangladeshi-origin Muslims. The recent unrest erupted after the Meghalaya High Court struck down the GHADC’s order making an ST certificate mandatory for contesting elections, a decision that triggered protests and heightened tensions in the Garo Hills. For a long time, local Garo groups such as the Achik State People’s Front had been voicing opposition against the ever-expanding presence of Bangladeshi-origin Muslims in different districts of Meghalaya. The tensions began during a nomination rally in Tura on March 9.
The plain belt areas of the district, such as Phulbari, Rajabala, and Chibinang were the most affected in the violence. Since these areas are situated adjacent to the border with Bangladesh, Muslims are concentrated here in large numbers. Following the violence and the deteriorating law-and-order situation, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma announced the postponement of the elections, which had earlier been scheduled to be held on April 10. A viral video soon surfaced on social media showing local Garo people vandalising the Tura Jama Masjid, alleging that the mosque has been the focal point of all illegal activities in the region. Security was beefed up in Tura town immediately after the incident. Subsequently, many media reports began portraying the situation unfolding in Meghalaya as a ‘Garo vs. non-Garo’ one. Earlier in January this year, ISIS posters printed in English were reportedly found near Tura Law College and other public spots, threatening the indigenous Garos to vacate their ancestral lands in the border villages of Phulbari, Rajabala, Tikrikilla, Selsella, Garobadha, and Turisori in the Garo Hills region of Meghalaya by 2027, thereby provoking tensions and trying to create conflicts in not just Meghalaya but across the entire North-East.[2]…….”
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