By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Feb 5: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Thursday said the issue revolving around participation of non-tribals in the GHADC election requires large-scale discussion.
He said that a consensus is required to be reached on this matter since non-tribal voters have been included in the GHADC electoral rolls since 1952.
He said that since the GHADC polls are round the corner, the government went ahead with the existing electoral rolls.
The CM’s statement comes in the wake of demands for excluding non-tribals from participating in the GHADC election. Pressure groups maintain that only local indigenous Garos should be allowed to vote and participate in the GHADC election.
Garo organisations argue that the Sixth Schedule was created to ensure self-governance for indigenous tribes. They contend that allowing non-tribals to vote in the GHADC election dilutes this autonomy and could lead to “outside control” over tribal land and customary laws.
