The District Administration, East Khasi Hills is all geared up for the Independence Day celebrations amidst the 48-hour bandh called by the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC). The outfit has called this bandh beginning Wednesday 13 August at 6 pm, to protest the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) ban on coal mining and also to express the usual grouse against Independence Day celebration. The first day of the bandh seemed to have gone in favour of the HNLC since schools, colleges, banks and commercial establishments remained closed and public transports were off the road barring the JNNURM buses, on Thursday. Government offices too registered scanty attendance and the over-all percentage was made worse because most central government establishments were closed for the day.
For Independence Day the Deputy Commissioner East Khasi Hills has lined up a list of activities designed to bring people out of their homes and entice them to celebrate the day with gay abandon. Beginning with the run to Polo Grounds and free film shows to music from noted singers who will perform at Khyndailad and food parks, the day promises to be quite an exciting one. The DC had also made special effort to solicit the co-operation of the Dorbar Shnong to have public functions in their localities. These are confidence building measures. Now it’s left to the public to brave the bandh and show the enemies of freedom that their compliance cannot be taken for granted. What is perhaps a cause of concern is the complete lack of visibility of the police force. Traffic police from vantage points such as the General’s Point, Rynjah, Fire Brigade etc., were not on duty. It is learnt that they have been deployed for law and order duty. On a bandh day it gives the public a sense of security to see the police moving around in localities and perhaps talking to the public and exhorting them to break the bandh. In fact schools and colleges must be told to keep their doors open. Only when the public is assured of safety and know that the law keepers are on their side will they learn to trust them.
