By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 21: Meghalaya Director General of Police Idashisha Nongrang on Thursday acknowledged that gaps in collating intelligence inputs contributed to the police’s inability to fully anticipate the scale of unrest that erupted in Garo Hills over the GHADC election controversy earlier this year.
Addressing a state-level police conference in Tura, she said the disturbances that broke out in March following protests against the GHADC notification on Scheduled Tribe certificates prompted the police to undertake an internal review of its response and preparedness.
The controversy triggered widespread protests after the notification effectively barred non-tribal candidates from contesting the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council elections. The agitation later escalated into violence in several parts of Garo Hills, leaving two persons dead, damaging public and private property, and forcing the state government to postpone the GHADC polls.
Reflecting on the developments, Nongrang said the police received multiple intelligence inputs before the violence, but admitted that the information was not adequately analysed collectively to assess the larger situation developing on the ground.
According to her, separate inputs had been received relating to the mobilisation of people, poll-related tensions, and concerns over illegal migrants and labour-related issues. However, the different strands of intelligence were not properly pieced together to provide a comprehensive picture of the emerging unrest. The DGP said the police have since conducted a “post-mortem assessment” to examine the causes of the violence and identify shortcomings in the handling of the situation. She indicated that the review was aimed at understanding where lapses occurred and how similar situations could be handled more effectively in the future.
Nongrang also highlighted infrastructural limitations faced by law enforcement agencies in the region, including the absence of a dedicated forensic laboratory in Garo Hills, an issue she suggested continues to affect investigative and forensic capabilities in the area.
