From Our Correspondent
TURA, Aug 16: The Achik Dedicated Integrity Leaders (ADIL) Phulbari Zone, West Garo Hills (WGH), has demanded that all political parties field only tribal candidates in the upcoming elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), expected to be held next year.
The demand follows a recent incident involving the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which had reportedly released the name of its candidate for the Shyamnagar constituency a few days ago, only to later withdraw it after backlash from several sections of the tribal population. The party had initially announced a non-tribal candidate.
In a press release, ADIL members called on all political parties to immediately commit to withholding party tickets from non-tribal candidates in the GHADC Election 2026.
“The NCP’s bold move to withdraw their non-tribal candidate for Shyamnagar Constituency proves that respect for the indigenous people is possible when there is political will. Now it’s time for all the remaining political parties to follow suit—or face the united voice of the people. We urge the public, NGOs, and civil society to rally behind this cause to protect our rights, our identity, and our land under the Sixth Schedule,” stated ADIL members from Phulbari.