Shillong, March 24: In a highly impactful development regarding autonomous district councils (ADCs), Governor CH Vijayashankar has approved the amended rules mandating Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate for contesting Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) elections.
Disclosing the Governor’s green signal to the proposed GHADC amendment through X, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said, “Would like to thank the Hon’ble Governor for approving the amended rules making it mandatory for candidates to have ST certificates to contest in the GHADC elections.
The Governor took just a day to give his approval to the crucial amendment proposed by the National People’s Party (NPP)-led GHADC Executive Committee.
The new rule requiring any candidate to hold an ST certificate would effectively restrict the GHADC elections to tribal contestants for the first time since the Council’s formation in 1952.
Terming the GHADC move “truly historic”, the Chief Minister had earlier said, “…in the district council session, the House passed a historic resolution… where it is made mandatory for any candidates who are contesting to have a Scheduled Tribe certificate.”
“This is a very important decision… District councils are traditionally meant for the tribals of the region. It has been a long‑pending demand of the people, but for the past 74 years none of the governments or the district councils were able to do this.”
The amendment inserts a certificate requirement into GHADC’s election regulations, closing a loophole that had allowed non‑tribal residents to stand for seats in a body originally established under the Sixth Schedule to safeguard tribal self‑governance.
Sangma had also appealed for calm acceptance “I am sure all our non‑tribal friends will understand that this Council is always meant for the tribals… I am sure there will be cooperation from all angles and we will all work together in peace and harmony to ensure we take Garo Hills and the entire state and the region forward,” he had stated.
The decision also comes after the state government’s decision to extend the current tenure of the GHADC by six months following weeks of violent protests against non-tribal participation in the Council elections, which was earlier scheduled to be held on April 10.
