Two Muslim men were killed and several others injured in violence that broke out late Monday night in Chibinang town in the Phulbari plains belt of West Garo Hills, Meghalaya, amid rising tensions over the participation of non-tribal candidates in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council elections scheduled for April 10. A full-day curfew has been imposed across the district, internet services suspended for 48 hours across all five Garo Hills districts, and additional security forces deployed to prevent further escalation.
How the Violence Unfolded
The trouble began when former Phulbari MLA Esmatur Mominin and another non-tribal candidate arrived at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Tura to file their nomination papers for the GHADC elections. Garo pressure groups had previously announced their strong opposition to the participation of non-tribals in the council polls. The two candidates were attacked inside the DC office by protesters, triggering a rapid chain of violence across the region.
Violence quickly spread to the Tura market, where shopkeepers from one community were attacked and forced to shut their establishments. The Imam of the Tura Masjid was also reportedly manhandled by a group of unidentified men. A mob subsequently vandalised the Jama Masjid in Tura town, attacking the mosque premises, damaging property and assaulting people present at the site.
In retaliation, a mob set fire to the office of the Garo Students’ Union and several adjoining shops at Chibinang market. Hours later, a mob of several hundred people descended on the Chibinang market area and clashed with police. West Garo Hills Police Chief Abraham T. Sangma confirmed that two bodies were recovered from the site of the incident and that he was personally camping at Chibinang with additional reinforcements deployed in the area.
Post-Mortem Rules Out Police Firing as Cause of Deaths
Garo Hills Police subsequently clarified that the two deaths were the result of a group clash and not police firing. The post-mortem conducted at Tura Civil Hospital confirmed that one victim had been hacked with a sharp weapon, sustaining severe injuries to the head and body, while the other had bullet wounds consistent with a country-made rifle rather than standard police-issued firearms.
Sangma said police had attempted to stop the clash by firing blank rounds. The findings suggest that some of those involved in the attack were carrying illegal weapons, with security forces now investigating the presence of such arms during the confrontation.
Curfew Imposed, Internet Shut Down
The West Garo Hills district administration extended the night curfew into a full 24-hour clampdown across the district from midnight. However, due to the simultaneous shutdown of internet services, many residents were initially unaware of the curfew order and towns, including Tura, opened for normal activity in the morning before public announcements were made and police reinforced the restrictions.
Internet services across all five districts of Garo Hills have been suspended for 48 hours from 10 in the morning, with officials citing the circulation of misinformation and reports of mobilisation on social media as the reason for the step. Voice calls and SMS services remain functional.
Background: GHADC Election Tensions
The violence has its roots in a dispute over who can contest the GHADC elections. On February 17, the GHADC executive committee had passed a resolution requiring all candidates to submit Scheduled Tribe certificates, effectively seeking to bar non-tribals from contesting. Protests by NGOs in 37 villages identified as sensitive had already prompted authorities to impose a night curfew from 6 in the evening to 6 in the morning during the nomination period, which runs from March 9 to March 16.
Peace Meeting Called, Security Tightened at Nomination Centres
Deputy Commissioner Vibhor Aggarwal has called a peace committee meeting at the Circuit House in Tura on Tuesday, inviting church leaders, NGO representatives and local development committees to help bring down tensions. Security has been increased at all nomination centres as filing of papers continues through March 16.
