Meghalaya's West Garo Hills tense after overnight arson, looting
Shillong (PTI): The situation in Meghalaya's West Garo Hills district remained tense on Thursday morning following overnight arson and looting, officials said.
Residents in several localities of Tura town kept vigil throughout the night to safeguard their neighbourhoods after incidents of looting, vandalism and arson were reported, they said.
Miscreants looted, vandalised and set fire to several properties, including shops, in different areas of the town, prompting residents to organise themselves and guard their localities to prevent further damage, a senior police officer said.
Among the establishments that were targeted was a liquor store in Tura allegedly belonging to a family member of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma. It was looted by miscreants on Wednesday night.
Sources said some anti-social elements attempted to take advantage of the volatile situation by entering residential areas and engaging in unlawful activities. In response, community members from several parts of the town voluntarily remained on vigil throughout the night to protect their homes, businesses and neighbourhoods.
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Officials said community stakeholders and church leaders have initiated efforts to restore peace and normalcy in the region.
Violence erupted in West Garo Hills during protests linked to the elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), with demonstrators opposing the participation of non-Garo communities in the filing of nominations for the polls.
Two persons were killed and several others were injured when police opened fire to disperse a mob during clashes in the Chibinang area on Tuesday, officials said.
The unrest also led to incidents of arson and damage to property in parts of the Garo Hills region, prompting authorities to deploy additional security forces, including five columns of the Army -- three in Tura town and two in Chibinang -- to restore order.
In the wake of the violence, the chief minister on Wednesday announced the postponement of the GHADC elections that were scheduled to be held on April 10.
The state government has also suspended mobile internet services across five districts of the Garo Hills region as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of rumours and maintain law and order, officials added.
Curfew continued to remain in force in West Garo Hills district and has been extended till midnight of Thursday as authorities stepped up security to maintain law and order.
West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner V Aggarwal told PTI that the curfew would remain in force till 12 am on March 13.
Additional security forces have been deployed in sensitive areas across the Garo Hills region to prevent any fresh flare-up, officials said.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring East Garo Hills district, authorities relaxed the curfew on Thursday from 8 am to 1 pm to allow residents to procure essential items.
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Hormuz Strait disruptions have caused huge economic impact, energy instability in region: Navy chief
Mumbai (PTI): The Strait of Hormuz disruptions have caused severe economic impact and energy instability in the region, Indian Navy chief Admiral D K Tripathi said on Thursday amid the war in West Asia.
Speaking at an event where INS Sunayna, an offshore patrol vessel, set sail from Mumbai as Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar, the admiral said competition at sea has no longer remained confined to oil and energy.
It is now expanding towards resources that will shape future growth - such as rare earth elements, critical minerals, new fishing grounds and even data, he said.
The West Asia crisis began on February 28 after a joint attack by the US and Israel on Iran.
Iran's strikes on its neighbours along with its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted the world's energy supplies with effects far beyond West Asia.
"With the conflict in West Asia well into its fifth week, the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have caused severe economic impact and energy instability in the region," Tripathi said.
There is significant increase in the marine survey, deep-sea research activity, and Illegal Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU), often encroaching upon the sovereign rights of littoral nations and exploiting gaps in monitoring and enforcement, he said.
Alongside these, threats such as piracy, armed robbery and narco-trafficking backed by unimpeded access of advanced technology to non-state actors, have also become more complex and challenging to counter, the Navy chief pointed out.
Last year alone, the Indian Ocean Region witnessed a staggering 3,700 maritime incidents of varying nature, the admiral said.
Additionally, narcotics seizures in the region exceeded USD 1 billion USD in 2025, highlighting the persistence and spread of such challenges in the region, he said.
