Shillong: Legal counsel Phuyosa Yobin is pushing a challenge against new election rules for the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council. These amendments block non-tribal permanent residents from voting or seeking office in the council. The case rests on whether these changes violate the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. Courts will decide.
Yobin brushed off claims that the petition is driven by political gain. "Some reports say that this is a political game, but I would say that this has nothing to do with politics. This is absolutely a challenge to the constitutional validity of the Sixth Schedule," he said. Petitioner Mozidul Rahman hired senior advocate Salman Khurshid to lead the fight. The case sits with a division bench of Justice Hamar Singh Thangkhiew and Justice B Bhattacharjee.
The controversy stems from changes to the Assam and Meghalaya Autonomous District Councils Rules, 1951. Specifically, authorities tweaked Rule 8, Clause D, and Rule 128, Clause AA. These updates make a Scheduled Tribe certificate a requirement for any candidate. They also call for a separate electoral roll that explicitly cuts out non-tribal voters.
Garo groups demanded these restrictions for years. The issue heated up after communal violence broke out in March, forcing officials to postpone the GHADC elections twice. Tensions remain high. The BJP is currently hammering the Congress for challenging the delimitation and the new rolls in the Supreme Court. BJP state co-in-charge Numal Momin insists the government is pushing to finish the process and hold elections fast. The Meghalaya High Court will hear the case again on October 29.
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