The Voice of the People’s Party president has drawn a firm political line ahead of the April 10 elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), asserting that the very precedent allowing non-tribals to participate and contest in district council elections is completely wrong. At a time when the debate over non tribal participation in Garo Hills Autonomous District Council elections has surfaced, the party underscored that traditional institutions and autonomous district councils are constitutionally and historically meant to safeguard the rights and interests of indigenous tribal communities, and that participation of non-tribals in such electoral processes runs contrary to this core objective. The party maintained that elections to these bodies should not encourage non-tribal participation and that such institutions are meant purely for the indigenous tribals of the State under the protective framework of the Sixth Schedule.
With a widening public debate over eligibility and representation in the GHADC polls, Voice of the People’s Party (VPP) president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit took a categorical stand on what he described as a flawed precedent.
“….precedence which have been created, where non-tribal can participate can contest district council election is completely wrong,” he said.
Elaborating on the party’s ideological position on traditional institutions and district councils under the Sixth Schedule, he added, “Even the VPP believes that in an elections to the traditional institution and district council we should not encourage the non tribals to participate and the non tribals should understand this is meant purely for the indigenous tribals of the state. Because if a non-tribal is elected to district council, then What is the purpose and what is the role of the non tribal? For whose interest will he plead or discuss in the district council because district council is purely to protect the interest of the Tribble people get into tribal areas. So I think the precedence which have been created, where non-tribal can participate can contest district council election is completely wrong.”
Announcing the party’s decision to stay away from the contest, he said, “As far as GHADC is concern we have decided, not to field any candidate and not to participate in this election. We have also instructed our people that if you want to support anyone, you cannot support as members of VPP, you can support as an individual. So because we don’t want to be seen especially all members at Garo Hills that they don’t have any principle because when they come to us, they come because they understand the principle of the party. We don’t want that the principle of the party will get diluted because of one elections. We are not going to support any political party.”
The VPP chief also assessed the political mood in Garo Hills, particularly the standing of the ruling National People’s Party.
“To be honest with you NPP is loosing it’s grips in Garo Hills, that is a fact. But as of now there is no alternative for the people of Garo Hills. People of Garo Hills are looking at us, so we need to work harder, We need to give more time as leaders as far as Garo Hills is concern and the true picture Of the situation in Garo Hills will not be the outcome of the Mandate in GHADC. True picture of 2028 is different,” he said.
Further, the VPP president said the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) is losing its grip in Garo Hills, but since at present there is no alternative for the people of Garo Hills as they are looking at VPP as an alternative for NPP even as he maintained that the anti incumbency factor may not hamper NPP in GHADC as the mandate for 2028 elections will be different. It may be mentioned that in the 2028 elections, VPP is looking forward to win few seats in the western region.
Though the VPP chief beliefs the GHADC outcome will not give true picture of 2028, he said if anti-incumbency sentiments against the NPP could influence the GHADC outcome depends on the upon these political parties, how they field the candidates, what is their manifestoes.
VPP Opposes Non-Tribal Participation in GHADC Polls, Calls Precedent ‘Completely Wrong’
