Whether it is the inordinate delay in holding the GHADC polls which has been postponed three times or whether the Garo people are pessimistic about the Council’s performance, the emerging trends in Garo Hills shows a general indifference to the October 12 polls. No important issues are being raised in this election. There is of course a great deal of controversy around the issue of non-tribals contesting the District Council elections and also voting in it. Since no amendments have been brought about by the GHADC to debar non-tribals from contesting and voting in the Council polls, they cannot be made to take a bow out of deference to the wishes of the people. After all, there is such a thing as a constitutional propriety. Unlike the Khasi and Jaintia Hills District Councils which are today in the eye of the storm vis-à-vis the Village Administration Bill, the GHADC already have an Act in place. But whether that Act is being implemented in letter and spirit is a matter of debate. The strongman of Garo Hills, PA Sangma who is also leading the Nationalist Peoples’ Party (NPP) was turned away from a particular constituency for not fulfilling his earlier poll promises. Today, after many decades the only issue that Sangma has taken on board for the Council polls is the codification of customary laws and practices especially the one which decides who is a Garo. The prime agenda of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution which gives sanctity to the District Councils is to conserve and promote customary laws and practices which can only be achieved through the process of codification. That Mr Sangma should talk about it only now suggests that he has not paid attention to an important point which should have been a well settled fact by now – that of establishing the Garo identity, until it came to taking on his beta noire, Mukul Sangma, the state Chief Minister.
This time there are 82 Independent candidates with West Garo Hills itself fielding 50 Independents. This is an indicator that even the aspirants have no faith in any single political party and therefore don’t want to be seeing aligning with any. The Congress is not expected to have a cakewalk this time. The UDP with 13 candidates has already declared that it would align with the NPP. On their turn the NPP with 26 candidates are likely to align with their natural allies the BJP which has set up 6 candidates. The Congress on its part is inclined to join issues with Independents. Whichever way we look at this election it is going to be one big hotch-potch, no-holds barred contest. To add to the melee there are former militants in the fray! The next Executive Council of the GHADC will be a pot-pourri of parties pulling in all directions. A large section of the populace of Garo Hills have already stated that the District Council is a toothless, superfluous body that accommodates 30 self serving elites. Perhaps the time has come to review the working of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution now that the Schedule is well past its prime.