📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Vikramjit Kakati
Politics
GSMC accuses Assam census officials of coercing Meghalaya border villagers
✍️ Highland Post
🗓 11 Sep 2026, 03:48 AM
👁 35
The Garo Hills State Council (GSMC) has alleged that census workers from Assam are pressuring residents of Meghalaya’s border villages during the ongoing enumeration.
GSMC lodged a formal complaint asserting that personnel attached to the Assam state census are coercing inhabitants of villages that straddle the Assam-Meghalaya border. The council claims the officials are using intimidation tactics to compel residents to provide information or comply with census procedures, allegedly violating their rights.
According to the allegation, the coercion includes threats of administrative action and undue pressure to disclose personal details. GSMC officials say such conduct undermines the credibility of the census and could skew demographic data for the region.
The council has urged the central government and the Ministry of Home Affairs to investigate the matter promptly and ensure that census operations are conducted impartially, respecting the autonomy of Meghalaya residents.
No response from the Assam census department or the Ministry has been recorded at the time of reporting. The issue highlights ongoing sensitivities in border areas where inter‑state coordination remains critical during nationwide data collection exercises.
According to the allegation, the coercion includes threats of administrative action and undue pressure to disclose personal details. GSMC officials say such conduct undermines the credibility of the census and could skew demographic data for the region.
The council has urged the central government and the Ministry of Home Affairs to investigate the matter promptly and ensure that census operations are conducted impartially, respecting the autonomy of Meghalaya residents.
No response from the Assam census department or the Ministry has been recorded at the time of reporting. The issue highlights ongoing sensitivities in border areas where inter‑state coordination remains critical during nationwide data collection exercises.