SHILLONG: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs is assessing the situation in Garo Hills region to send adequate number of additional forces for the smooth conduct of the October 12 GHADC polls and also to control the spurt in activities of militant outfits.
A Union Home Ministry official said over phone from Delhi on Friday that the Centre was examining the demand of the State Government to deploy 10 to 15 additional companies of central paramilitary forces for the GHADC elections.
In addition to the spurt in militant activities, another worry for the Centre is the opposition of pressure groups against holding GHADC polls involving participation of non- tribals.
The official said if the people of Garo Hills did not want to elect the non-tribal candidates, they were free to vote them out during the polls instead of launching agitations.
Meanwhile, hardening their stand, the pressure groups of Garo Hills have launched a series of meetings in all the districts of Garo Hills.
In a statement issued on Friday, the pressure groups said that in the plain belts of West Garo Hills there were a lot of dual voters who cast their votes both in Assam and Meghalaya.
“These dual voters, illegal immigrants, land encroachers and squatters must not be allowed to exercise voting rights in Meghalaya because many of these people’s eligibility to vote are in question as they are not Indian citizens,” the pressure groups said.
According to the pressure groups, the spirit of the Sixth Schedule is entirely focused at protection of tribal areas and interests, by allowing self-governance through constitutional institutions at the district or regional level.
