From Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, March 18: Congress MP from Tura, Saleng A. Sangma, on Wednesday painted a grave communal scenario in the riot-hit Garo Hills districts of Meghalaya.
He alleged that illegal Rohingya intruders have been attacking tribal people, vandalising their religious statues, and ordering them to leave en masse so that the intruders can occupy the entire region.
In an urgent letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Congress MP sought the Centre’s immediate intervention to safeguard the lives and property of poor tribal communities in areas under the Tura Lok Sabha constituency.
Given the volatile border situation, the Cabinet Committee on Security, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, should also take note of the rapidly emerging and dangerous situation, Sangma said.
He referred to threatening posters that have reportedly been systematically pasted across multiple locations in West Garo Hills, including Rajabala, Tikrikilla, Phulbari, and adjoining areas, containing explicit and coercive messages directing tribal residents to vacate their homes within this year and leave the districts.
“The intruders have also threatened serious consequences in case of non-compliance, indicating a structured and organised attempt to intimidate civilians and disturb local stability,” Sangma said.
The MP cited recent incidents in which two Garo tribals were killed, and houses were torched.
“On March 9, a shop belonging to a local was destroyed at Chibinang market, and a statue of Mother Mary was vandalised—an act that has deeply affected the religious sentiments and social harmony of the local population,” he said.
According to available police inputs, these incidents have been linked to individuals suspected to be from immigrant backgrounds, Sangma said in his letter.
These developments have led to increasing tensions and clashes between local tribal communities and groups of illegal Rohingya intruders allegedly backed by ISIS, he said.
Such psychological intimidation, along with fatal physical attacks on indigenous communities, appears designed to create fear among tribal populations, with potential implications of displacement and social disruption, the MP said. He called for a comprehensive intelligence assessment to determine the origins, intent, and networks behind these activities.
He also advocated strengthening ground-level security through the deployment of appropriate Central Armed Police Forces wherever necessary.
“The Centre should immediately step in to secure the sensitive region, which has already been under curfew for several days, with the scheduled ADC elections deferred for six months,” the Tura MP said.
