The administration of Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district has requested the Indian Army to conduct a flag march in sensitive areas following unrest linked to the upcoming elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC).
West Garo Hills District Magistrate Vibhor Aggarwal made the request on Tuesday in a letter addressed to the Commanding Officer of the 101 Area, Eastern Command. The move comes after communal tension and public unrest were reported in several plain-belt villages of the district during the ongoing GHADC election process.
In the letter, the district magistrate stated that the administration was seeking the army’s assistance in carrying out a flag march in the affected areas due to the tense law and order situation. He said the situation had become sensitive after opposition emerged against the participation of non-tribal candidates in the GHADC elections scheduled for April.
Aggarwal noted that the issue has disturbed public peace and tranquillity in some areas of the district. According to the administration, there have been incidents of tension between two groups in recent days, which led to growing concern about the possibility of further disturbances.
The district magistrate said the presence of the armed forces would help reassure residents and prevent any untoward incidents. He added that a flag march by the army would act as a visible sign of preparedness by the authorities to maintain peace and stability in the region.
“The presence of armed forces will greatly help in reassuring the public, preventing any further untoward incidents, and restoring confidence among the residents,” Aggarwal said in his communication.
He also stated that the local administration and the police department would extend full cooperation to the army if the flag march is carried out in the district.
The request for an army flag march comes at a time when the district is already under restrictions following incidents of vandalism and unrest related to the GHADC election process. Authorities have been monitoring the situation closely, and additional security forces have been deployed in sensitive areas to maintain law and order.
The GHADC elections are scheduled to be held on April 11, while the nomination process for candidates is currently underway. Officials said the administration is taking precautionary measures to ensure that the election process takes place peacefully.
