SHILLONG: Members of the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) on Monday apprehended 10 persons from Assam who arrived in Bolero Pick-up trucks to purchase vegetables from Diengiei.
In a statement issued here, the HYC Diengiei circle expressed their strong opposition to the presence of people from outside the state who were brought to Diengiei by local traders despite inter-state lockdown.
The HYC units that were present there were Diengiei circle, Nongthliew circle, Nongpathaw unit and Krang unit. The HYC members engaged in feud with local Khasi residents who claimed to be traders and informed the members that they brought the 10 people to Diengiei.
In a video it was seen that the HYC members and the people who claimed to be traders quarrelling over the matter. The HYC members sought the intervention of the police wherein the organization registered their protest on the arrival of people from Assam despite the inter-state lockdown (due to the pandemic).
“Despite the organization’s arguments, the SI (Marbaniang) refused to listen to us but maintained that the 10 persons have all the necessary permissions and warned the organization that they do not have any authority to apprehend them or seize their vehicle”, the organization said.
The organization has questioned the relevance of inter-state lockdown even as people from outside the state are still allowed to enter the state.
After the discussion with the police, the organization were in for another surprise when the headman of Umlidoh asked the president of HYC Nongthliew circle not to interfere as he is not from Diengiei.
The HYC said that such a statement from the Rangbah shnong brings about division in the Khasi community and it has condemned the Rangbah shnong’s statement.
On the action of the police officer, the organisation suspected a nexus between the police department and the local traders who conspired to bring people from outside the state to further spread COVID-19.