SHILLONG: After a week of agitations and protests, Shillong is now limping back to normalcy as shops and business establishments opened for the entire day on Friday and people thronged areas like Police Bazar and Iewduh.
East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Matsiewdor War Nongbri said that the situation was completely normal on Friday and the administration is contemplating to fully relax the curfew from Sunday.
Currently, curfew is being implemented in different parts of the city from 9 pm and there is a strong presence of police personnel in some areas of the city.
The district magistrate said on Friday that the curfew has been relaxed from 5 am to 9 pm on Saturday.
The restriction on mobile internet and SMS was lifted by the state government on Friday evening after the city witnessed instances of violence last week.
Earlier in the day, a large number of people came out for shopping as Christmas is just a few days away and the roads in the city were full with vehicles as people wanted to reach their homes before the curfew starts at 9 pm.
A visit to Police Bazar in the evening revealed that all the business and other activities continued normally though the crowd was very less.
The city had witnessed a series of anti-CAA and pro-ILP protests and there were several instances of torching of vehicles, ransacking of shops and assaulting people.
As the city was under the grip of curfew, many tourists had left the city.
However, hoteliers informed on Friday that some tourists have arrived in Shillong and they are hoping that the flow of tourists would improve before Christmas.
The situation in the city turned normal only after the state government passed a resolution in the Assembly to urge the Centre to implement Inner Line Permit as there was pressure on the government from different NGOs to pass the resolution.
With the improved situation, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma visited Police Bazar on Friday evening to oversee the festive market.
He also interacted with the business community at a sweetshop.
