SHILLONG/TURA/MAWKYRWAT: Police have made elaborate security arrangements in view of the 11-hour North East bandh called by NESO to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.
The protest is from 5 am to 4 pm.
Director General of Police R Chandranathan said that existing police forces will be adequate to maintain law and order. “We have also conveyed to the pressure groups to ensure that peace is not disturbed in the state”, the DGP said.
East Khasi Hills SP Claudia Lyngwa said that the police would have tight security arrangements everywhere in the city and areas which are considered vulnerable will be covered by the police personnel.
Stating that the police are not taking the bandh lightly, she added that they are committed to provide security to people who have to catch flights and many people have already approached them to provide security. She said the people who have to go outside the state will be provided security in collaboration with Ri Bhoi police.
) East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner M. War said the district administration will coordinate with the police to ensure peace and tranquility.
The state government has directed its employees to attend the office on Tuesday warning of strict action against any unauthorised leave.
Sec 144 imposed
The district magistrates, West Garo Hills and South West Khasi Hills, have promulgated an order under section 144 CrPC prohibiting obstruction or intimidation to office-goers, educational institutions or general public, causing obstruction to the movement of vehicles, carrying or concealing lathis, sticks, stones, missiles, firearms or any kind of lethal weapons, by any person, or group of persons or organisations, in view of the announcement of bandh by NESO.
However, the order will not apply to armed forces or para military and other law enforcing agencies.
The deputy commissioner of South West Khasi Hills, Isawanda Laloo said restriction has been imposed to prevent any breach of peace or public tranquility or loss of life.
On the eve of the protest on Monday evening, Shillong witnessed traffic snarl as people were in a hurry to reach their homes at the earliest.
NESO advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya had said that the bandh has been called jointly by all students’ organisations of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura. However, the NESO has exempted Nagaland from the bandh due to the ongoing Hornbill Festival in Kohima and students of the state will stage protests in front of Raj Bhavan there.
Exams rescheduled
The Controller of Examinations, NEHU has informed that due to unavoidable circumstances, all odd semester undergraduate, post-graduate/B.Tech/B.Arch/BA LLB, B.ED and law examinations earlier scheduled to be held on Tuesday has been postponed. Students can log on to www.nehu.ac.in for the revised schedule.
Two university examinations for law and education have also been rescheduled by NEHU, Tura campus.
The Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) and LLB examinations of the university were supposed to take place on Tuesday. They have now been shifted to next week.
In a notification, the Controller of Examinations said the B.Ed examinations will now take place on December 17while the LLB exam will be held on December 21.
The Pro Vice-Chancellor of NEHU Tura Campus G Singaiah informed that the reschedule was necessitated in view of the NESO bandh.
