Scarce cops force Sangma govt to put off civic polls

SHILLONG: Meghalaya home minister HDR Lyngdoh has admitted that there is a dearth of adequate police force to control any untoward incident that could arise if municipal elections were held in Garo Hills as decided by the government.

Lyngdoh, who returned from Garo Hills after assessing the law and order there following an indefinite bandh call by several organizations in protest against the government's decision to hold civic polls, told reporters here the government needed adequate police force to conduct the elections. "But we don't have that. The force deployed in Garo Hills is meant for anti-insurgency operations. We cannot ask them to do something else. After all, we have to keep the security of the region in mind," Lyngdoh said.

Under pressure from various student and social organizations, who have already threatened a week-long shutdown against the proposed polls, the state government has deferred the municipal elections that were slated for next month.

The protesting organizations contended that the election to the municipalities would lead to "erosion of powers" of the traditional tribal grassroots administrative bodies and that of tribal village chieftains.

"Keeping all this in mind, the government held discussions with various NGOs and apprised them about the objectives of conducting civic elections. We will also write to the court to give the government some more time in conducting the elections in a smooth, safe and fair manner," the home minister said.

The Joint Action Committee (JAC), a conglomeration of several NGOs, had announced a six-day non-cooperation movement beginning July 15 to protest the government's decision to hold municipal election in the Garo Hills.

In Meghalaya, municipal election has never been held after it attained statehood. The last civic poll was held in 1967 when Meghalaya was part of the erstwhile undivided Assam.

However, after the Supreme Court notification in 2000, there have been at least three attempts to hold civic body elections in the state but there were stiff opposition from NGOs as they argued that such an attempt would dilute the credibility of the traditional institutions.

The Meghalaya United Alliance (MUA) coalition government, led by Mukul Sangma, also decided to solicit public opinion after its cabinet decision in July, 2010 envisaging reforms on the municipal act and facilitate holding of first ever civic polls in the in Garo Hills.

However, the NGOs, under the banner of the JAC, immediately launched an agitation opposing the government's move to conduct municipal polls, forcing the state to abandon its decision.