TURA: In a historic legislative move, the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) on Monday officially amended its rules to make the possession of a Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate a mandatory requirement for all candidates contesting Council elections.
The decision was reached during a special session of the Council, marking a significant shift toward reinforcing the foundational principle that District Councils are governance institutions reserved exclusively for indigenous tribal populations.
The amendment received unanimous backing across the floor, seeing rare consensus between the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) and the opposition Trinamool Congress (TMC). Both sides agreed that the move was essential to protecting the political rights of the region’s indigenous people.
Following the passage of the resolution, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma joined party workers at the NPP office in Tura to celebrate the decision. Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister highlighted that this has been a long-standing demand of traditional heads and local residents.
“Today, in a special session, the GHADC passed a resolution to amend the AD Rules. This makes an ST certificate mandatory for anyone aspiring to contest Council elections. In 74 years, no government or District Council has managed to implement this, but under the leadership of the NPP-led Executive Committee, we have finally secured this protection,” Sangma stated.
The Chief Minister emphasized that the amendment aligns with the original intent of the Sixth Schedule, which was designed to safeguard the identity and land of tribals in Northeast India.
While hailing the move as a victory for indigenous rights, he also reached out to the non-tribal community, urging them to understand the constitutional spirit behind the decision. He called for continued cooperation and harmony among all sections of society to maintain peace and unity within the Garo Hills.
