<p>Two persons died and several others were injured in West Garo Hill district in Meghalaya on Tuesday morning after police opened fire to control clashes over participation of non-tribals in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) elections. </p><p>The administration clamped curfew, suspended mobile internet for 48-hours and even called additional forces including the army as volatile situation prevailed due to clashes between tribals and non-tribals since Monday night. </p>.In Meghalaya, the mother's line still holds, but not as firmly.<p>Tension prevailed in Garo Hills due to strong protest by non-tribals over a recent notification by the council making it mandatory for the candidates to produce a Scheduled Tribe certificate along with nomination papers for the polls, scheduled on April 10. Tribals have been demanding that non-tribals should be barred from contesting the polls as the council was set up under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution for welfare of the tribals.</p><p>Non-tribal population, mainly Bengali-speaking Muslims, are dominant in five out of 30 constituencies of the autonomous council. There are two non-tribal members in the council at present.</p><p>Situation turned tense when S.G. Esmatur Mominin, a former non-tribal MLA, went to submit his nomination papers on Monday. Mominin described the GHADC notification "unconstitutional," following which he was allegedly assaulted in Tura, the headquarters of Garo Hills. </p><p>The administration said situation was still tense but the army and other security forces carried out flag marches to restore normalcy. </p>
<p>Two persons died and several others were injured in West Garo Hill district in Meghalaya on Tuesday morning after police opened fire to control clashes over participation of non-tribals in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) elections. </p><p>The administration clamped curfew, suspended mobile internet for 48-hours and even called additional forces including the army as volatile situation prevailed due to clashes between tribals and non-tribals since Monday night. </p>.In Meghalaya, the mother's line still holds, but not as firmly.<p>Tension prevailed in Garo Hills due to strong protest by non-tribals over a recent notification by the council making it mandatory for the candidates to produce a Scheduled Tribe certificate along with nomination papers for the polls, scheduled on April 10. Tribals have been demanding that non-tribals should be barred from contesting the polls as the council was set up under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution for welfare of the tribals.</p><p>Non-tribal population, mainly Bengali-speaking Muslims, are dominant in five out of 30 constituencies of the autonomous council. There are two non-tribal members in the council at present.</p><p>Situation turned tense when S.G. Esmatur Mominin, a former non-tribal MLA, went to submit his nomination papers on Monday. Mominin described the GHADC notification "unconstitutional," following which he was allegedly assaulted in Tura, the headquarters of Garo Hills. </p><p>The administration said situation was still tense but the army and other security forces carried out flag marches to restore normalcy. </p>