#Meghalaya : LoP Mukul Sangma Wants Independent Commission Of Inquiry Into Garo Hills Violence

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Meghalaya’s leader of opposition Mukul Sangma has  urged the state government to institute an independent commission of inquiry into the Garo Hills violence, stating that accountability and due process were essential to restore public confidence.

In a petition to Governor CH Vijayashankar, Sangma flagged a “serious law and order situation” in the Garo Hills region, which he said stemmed from a series of developments linked to the elections to the tribal Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC).

“These developments led to widespread unrest and conflict among different groups in the region,” Sangma, a TMC MLA, said in the petition.

The unrest subsequently turned violent, resulting in the death of two persons in clashes between rival groups on March 10, while the situation across districts in Garo Hills became tense and volatile, he added.

The former chief minister also alleged that the situation was aggravated due to the lack of timely and effective government intervention at the initial stage.

He further claimed that the role of “vested interests, including possible outside forces inimical to the nation,” in fuelling communal tension and disturbing law and order in the region could not be ruled out.

However, Sangma noted that the situation has begun to normalise due to the intervention of church leaders and senior citizens in West Garo Hills, who played a key role in pacifying aggrieved groups.