Governor C.H. Vijayashankar on Tuesday, March 24, granted assent to an amendment to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) Rules that makes a Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate mandatory for candidates contesting council polls, and replaces Clause 8 with the words “only Scheduled Tribe.” The move effectively bars non-tribal candidates from standing in GHADC elections and has prompted the Meghalaya government to ask the Khasi Hills (KHADC) and Jaintia Hills (JHADC) councils to adopt similar changes for all three autonomous district councils in the state.
The amendment was passed unanimously by 26 GHADC MDCs in a special session on March 23 and was described by supporters as correcting a 74-year-old anomaly in the Sixth Schedule framework that established district councils to protect and develop tribal communities. Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, who oversees District Council Affairs, said the state government will formally write to KHADC and JHADC to amend their rules and forward the changes to the Governor for approval. He added that GHADC will next revise its electoral rolls to exclude non-tribal voters, with discussions on that process scheduled for Wednesday, March 25.
Tynsong said the situation in Garo Hills is calm and that residents, particularly in the hill areas, are likely to welcome the amendment as reflecting long-standing local aspirations. The change follows weeks of unrest in Garo Hills after non-tribal candidates filed nominations, incidents that the source reports led to two deaths, widespread property damage, postponement of elections, a six-month extension of the GHADC Executive Committee’s term, curfews and mobile internet restrictions.
Indigenous organisations have urged swift action by the other councils. The Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) president Dundee Cliff Khongsit called the GHADC amendment a “golden opportunity” and “timely,” and urged KHADC and JHADC to convene special sessions to amend the Assam and Meghalaya Autonomous Districts (Constitution of District Councils) Rules, 1951, to bar non-tribals from both contesting and voting in council elections. Khongsit said such measures are essential to protect the political and administrative rights of the Khasi-Pnar people over their land.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma thanked the Governor for approving the amendment and publicly urged KHADC and JHADC to follow suit. Bernard N. Marak, BJP’s Tura MDC and a prominent supporter of the change, called it “a big day for the A’chik community,” describing the outcome as a collective victory.
The state government says the GHADC rule change is the first phase; amended rules are expected to speed up the long-postponed polls and be followed by preparation of separate electoral rolls exclusively for Scheduled Tribe voters across all three autonomous district councils, aiming to create a uniform policy under the Sixth Schedule.
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/03/25/khasi-jaintia-hills-set-to-implement-ghadcs-st-only-model-for-elections/
Category: MEGHALAYA
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Publish Date: 2026-03-25 02:44:00
