Mukul Sangma Seeks Independent Commission on Garo Hills Unrest

Overview

• After meeting Governor CH Vijayashankar, the Leader of the Opposition submitted a memorandum urging an independent Commission of Inquiry into the recent violence in Garo Hills.
• He traced the unrest to disputes over GHADC poll eligibility, a controversial notification by the former council chief, and a contentious meeting in Phulbari by a former MLA.
• Sangma alleged administrative paralysis and failure to act on early intelligence, and he flagged the possibility of vested or external interests influencing the tensions.
• He warned that perceived indiscriminate arrests risk a miscarriage of justice and called for evidence-based policing and due process.
• He noted that calm is slowly returning through church and community mediation, and he questioned the feasibility of early GHADC elections as the state grants a six-month extension to the council’s term.