By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 4: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has claimed that “infiltrators” are marrying Garo women to systematically hijack the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC)—reframing the recent fatal unrest in the region as a struggle for demographic survival.
Addressing an election rally in Assam on Friday, Shah linked the violence in Meghalaya’s Garo Hills to alleged infiltration, asserting that outsiders exploit marriage to gain political control over tribal institutions.
“There was an election in Meghalaya in Garo Hills. There was violence because they lure the innocent Garo females, these infiltrators marry them, [and] wanted to capture the GHADC,” Shah said.
The Home Minister also targeted the Congress, alleging the party had turned Assam into a gateway for illegal immigrants. He warned that if the party returned to power, “even in between our tribes there will be infiltrators.”
Shah’s remarks follow a period of intense unrest in the Garo Hills triggered by the participation of non-tribal candidates in the GHADC elections. The nomination period was marked by clashes, arson, and vandalism, particularly in West Garo Hills. At least two people were killed during the violence, including one person in police firing.
The breakdown of law and order previously forced the state government to impose curfews, suspend mobile internet services, and deploy the Army to conduct flag marches. Consequently, the GHADC elections, which were scheduled for April 10, 2026, were postponed.
The protests centered on long-standing demands to bar non-tribals from contesting council polls. Following the escalation, election rules were amended to make Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates mandatory for all candidates.
While restrictions have since been eased and normalcy has largely returned to the region, security agencies continue to monitor the situation.
