Shillong, March 9 The district administration of West Garo Hills, Meghalaya, imposed a night curfew in at least 37 villages on Monday, following protests by NGOs over the participation of non-tribal members in the nomination process for the upcoming autonomous district council elections. The curfew will be in effect from 6 pm to 6 am in the designated areas to prevent any incidents and maintain law and order during the nomination period, which runs from March 9 to March 16. District Magistrate Vibhor Aggarwal imposed the restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which prohibits unauthorized processions or unlawful gatherings of five or more people, as well as the carrying of arms or instruments that could be used as weapons, including sticks, rods, and stones. The order covers 37 villages in the district, including 17 villages under the jurisdiction of the Ghallidayganj police station and 20 villages within the Phulbari police station limits. Earlier in the day, a former MLA was reportedly attacked by unidentified individuals while attempting to file his nomination papers to contest the elections, further escalating tensions in the district. According to the order, there is a possibility of obstruction or intimidation of vehicles and disruption of normal life following protests related to the filing of nominations. The administration also expressed concern that such incidents could lead to a breach of peace and disturbance of public tranquility, potentially resulting in injury, damage to property, or rioting. The order further noted that recent incidents have raised apprehensions of communal tension between different community groups in certain areas with mixed populations in the West Garo Hills district. The controversy comes amid a recent notification issued by the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) making it mandatory for candidates to produce a valid Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate while filing nomination papers for the council elections scheduled on April 10, effectively barring non-tribals from contesting the polls. The district administration said the precautionary measures were necessary to prevent any escalation of tension and to ensure the peaceful conduct of the election process.