ICHAMATI: The attack on those who attended the public meeting opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and demanding Inner Line Permit (ILP) at Ichamati by non-locals was pre-meditated, according to traditional heads, local residents and the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) leaders.
KSU president Lambok Marngar said that the manner of attack suggested it was well planned and they were well prepared.
“They did not attack us when many of us were still present and we were having food. They suddenly attacked us when the other members left Ichamati”, he said.
Marngar said that during the meeting there were other non-locals who took picturesm but he did not feel anything suspicious.
He said that there was no attack immediately after the meeting.
He said that while he and three others were waiting for others, a group of non-tribals suddenly emerged with arms and charged directly towards them.
Marngar admitted that the organisations did not realise that such an incident would take place.
He said that there was a non-local lady who spied and five minutes after she disappeared, the attackers came.
Similarly, general secretary of the union, Donald Thabah, said that non-locals fetched others from adjoining villages of Shella, Tyllap, Majai, Dhorom in a bus.
“They were waiting for the organisations to disperse and to easily attack them”, he said.
Headman of Ichamati Peace Maker Marwein said that the meeting held by the KSU, FKJGP, HNYF, RBYF ended peacefully at 3:30 pm. They were, however, shocked when a group of non-Khasis, mostly Bengalis and Hajongs, suddenly appeared and started to assault the people who attended the public meeting and injured even the Sordar of Umwai.
Asked about the incident of haystack burning, Peace Maker Marwein said that nobody saw who burned it and pointed that it was behind the building where he sat. The burning of the haystack was around 4:30 pm.
“The non-locals were not only from Ichamati but from other adjoining areas also who carried sticks, dao. It was pre-planned. Their intention was to assault people. There were around 500 people, including known and unknown faces in the village. It is clear that their target was the people who attended the public meeting”, he said.
Marwein said that non-local residents were also amongst the attackers, while others were daily wage labourers. He said that the attackers were from Umphlo (consisting of Hajong and Bengali population), Umtaru which has a mixed population, Kalibari (Bengali dominant) while Ichamati has a mixed population.
Asked whether action will be taken against the attackers, he said that it is up to the Sirdar of Mawlong Elaka. “This is the first time that this has happened. Usually, there would be checking of trading licenses and the non-locals would show their arrogance when asked for the papers”, he said. Marwein said that the reason behind the attack is unknown although he suspected that the attackers were disgruntled at the anti-CAA protest and the ILP demand.
With the examinations slated for March 2 for HSSLC and March 4 for SSLC, he said that there will be a problem for the students as the centres of examinations are in Sohra and Mawlong. He also said that the non-local residents disobeyed the directions of the dorbar shnong to not take out a rally.
“But they took out a rally anyway carrying bamboo sticks and daos. We told them to go home but they did not listen. I heard when hundreds of the attackers took out a rally saying, “Khasi murdabad”.”
Marwein said that none of the KSU, FKJGP, HNYF and RBYF carried any weapons and ran away for protection from the raging mob as they were unarmed.
Meanwhile, the sirdar of Mawlong Elaka, SK Laloo claimed that issuing No Objection Certificate (NOC) to outsiders is monitored carefully by the Dorbar and those with no documents are not considered.
“We are preparing to register the names of people in all the localities to ensure that we are alert. No one will be allowed to stay without informing the dorbar”, he said.
Condemning the incident, Laloo said a dorbar meeting will be held at Mawlong on Saturday.
He also refuted the allegations that the people who attacked were Bangladeshis as the border in Ichamati is fenced.
A resident of Shella, whose nephew was also assaulted in the incident, was angry and said, “Any allegation should be supported by evidence”.
He went on to add that the persons behind the violence should be arrested and the law should take stringent action against them.
He asserted that the non-locals who attacked the people who attended the public meeting are those who do not possess any proper documents to prove their citizenship.
“The attackers are scared as they do not possess anything with them to prove that they are Indian citizens. Otherwise, the meeting was peaceful”, he said.
Meanwhile, a KSU leader from Sohra said that the members of the KSU were caught off guard when after the meeting concluded a group of people carrying sharp weapons, bamboo sticks in which barbed wires were also tied, appeared and assaulted the people who attended the public meeting.
“After the meeting ended, only 15-20 members were present and hundreds of people came out of nowhere and assaulted us, we started to run as they were too many and were also armed. It was pre-planned. I became suspicious of the gestures and movements of the people in the afternoon. Besides, all shops were close when we said nothing about closing shops. They do not look like Bangladeshis also”, he said.
He said that the deceased member was made to kneel on the ground and assaulted badly.
