Shillong, Feb 26: The pressure group known as ACHIK has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to call for a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls prior to the forthcoming elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC).
The letter, dated yesterday, referred to the January 9 murder of ACHIK activist Dilseng M Sangma, who was killed while part of a team inspecting suspected illegal quarries. ACHIK said that more than 50 people thought to be “illegal Bangladeshi settlers” were behind the attack.
“This tragic incident is not an isolated event but reflects the growing tension and insecurity arising from continuous illegal encroachment upon ancestral lands of the Indigenous Garo people,” the pressure group told Shah. “The unchecked influx and settlement of illegal immigrants have led to serious demographic concerns in the Garo Hills region. Such developments threaten not only the land rights and cultural identity of the Indigenous communities but also the integrity of the electoral process in the Autonomous District Council.”
Besides calling for an SIR, the letter asked Shah to ensure law and order in the region, ensure thorough verification of citizenship and eligibility of voters, take necessary measures to prevent illegal encroachment and protect the “demographic integrity” of Sixth Schedule areas.
“Allowing ineligible or illegal settlers to influence the electoral process would defeat the very purpose of this constitutional safeguard,” ACHIK added.
