GUWAHATI/ SHILLONG: Rupsang Dewan, 29, a vegetable vendor at Iewduh and a resident of Laban Jumma Compound, who succumbed to his injuries while on his way to Civil Hospital in Shillong on Saturday, was cremated at his native village, Bhela Nawgaon in Barpeta district of Assam on Sunday morning.
Speaking to The Shillong Times over phone on Sunday evening, Barpeta Superintendent of Police, Robin Kumar confirmed that Dewan’s body was brought to his village in Barpeta from Shillong late Saturday evening and that his mortal remains was laid to rest on Sunday morning.
Dewan, who was attacked by masked goons in Shillong on Saturday, had been selling vegetables at Bara Bazaar for about a decade.
Meanwhile, the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) member, Lurshai Hynniewta, a victim of Ichamati violence, will be cremated on Monday at Sohra.
The victim was a father of four children and the lone bread earner.
The general secretary of KSU South Khasi Hills circle, Edmund Khongsya and former MLA and leader of the public movement “Iada la ka Ri”, Ardent Basaiawmoit, have also extended condolence to the family members of Hynniewta.
Ardent also clarified that the decision to hold the public meeting at Mawlai Mawroh ground on Saturday was taken on February 18 and was not called for the Ichamati incident.
Assault victims show improvement
Victims of Saturday’s assault cases at Iewduh are still undergoing treatment at Shillong Civil Hospital, with some showing signs of improvement.
Those attending to the patients said that some medicines had to be arranged from outside the hospital as the Amrit Pharmacy located on the hospital premises could not supply the medicines.
A Christian evangelist also visited the injured persons and pleaded for unity amongst the various communities in the state.
A Khasi lady who was attending to her sick son at the hospital said that violence is never the solution and lamented that poor people have to struggle to make ends’ meet during times of agitation.
It may be mentioned that the state has witnessed a spate of violence in the last three years with the Harijan Colony incident in 2018, followed by anti- CAA and pro-ILP protests in 2019 leading to the Ichamati incident.
