Groups to protest against non-tribal participation

TURA, Feb 23: Seething over participation by non-tribals in the upcoming GHADC elections, several Garo Hills-based organisations have decided to call a protest rally in Williamnagar, East Garo Hills, on Friday.
Organisations such as the Garo Students’ Union, the Federation of Khasi-Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) and several others from the Garo Hills have, under the umbrella of East Garo Hills Joint Action Committee, called for a rally against participation by non-tribals in the elections to 29 seats of the GHADC.
Two open seats in the plains of West Garo Hills – Balachanda and Phulbari – are witnessing possible participation of non-tribal candidates in the upcoming polls and both seats have a considerable non-tribal voters’ population.
In the last GHADC elections, Independent Sofiur Rahman won a landslide victory from Balachanda while SG Esmatur Mominin, younger brother of late Monirul Islam, triumphed in Phulbari.
Mominin went on to get elected as an MLA from Phulbari, holding dual positions as an MDC as well as legislator, while Sofiur lost the 2018 Assembly elections but remains a sitting MDC.
This GHADC election, Sofiur is seeking a reelection from his current Balachanda constituency while Mominin has left the Phulbari seat for his elder brother’s son to contest.