Tura, Mar 25: Curfew restrictions in the district of West Garo Hills (WGH) were relaxed further with the district administration extending the relaxation to another 2 hours – i.e. – 8 PM to 6 AM while also withdrawing the control room that had been set up to oversee law and order in the district.
The control room had been set up to monitor issues of law and order following the violence.
Curfew, though relaxed, remains in place to ensure there is no repetition of a flare-up of violence that took the entire Garo Hills by storm and saw 2 deaths and crores in property damage following the attempt by one non tribal attempting to file his nomination to the GHADC on the first day of nomination filing for the election.
Subsequently violence erupted and affected at least 3 places, Tura, Williamnagar and Chibinang after which curfew was strictly imposed and remains in place even now. The violence also resulted in the government postponing the election until further notice.
Following this development, a 2 day session that concluded yesterday passed an amendment to election rules of the GHADC making an ST certificate mandatory to contest the GHADC election. An assent to the order was provided by the Meghalaya Governor, bringing to an end one of the most questioned sections of the GHADC which till this development, did not restrict the participation of non-tribals to fight for elections as well as vote.
In an order this afternoon, deputy commissioner, Vibhor Agarwal announced both the relaxation of curfew as well as the withdrawal of the control room on the basis that no anti-social incidents have been reported over the past few days.
