SHILLONG, Feb 27: The Khasi Student’s Union (KSU) has affirmed that last year’s Ichamati violence will not dilute their spirit to push for the implementation of the Inner-Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya and the struggle will continue with reinvigorated vigor.
It was on this day last year the KSU members, after holding a meeting for the implementation of ILP and opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), came under an unlooked-for attack at Ichamati.
In the melee, a member of the KSU, Lurshai Hynniewta, was critically injured and later succumbed to his injuries.
Recalling the day, KSU president Lambokstar Marngar said, “We had organised a meeting in opposition to CAA and demand for ILP. During the meeting, nothing happened but after it concluded, these people, whether legal or illegal migrants, attacked us and unfortunately we lost one of our members. This incident which happened last year on February 28 will not dilute our spirit to fight for the implementation of ILP. We will keep fighting as this is a movement and we have been struggling for so many years,” he asserted.
On the action taken against the miscreants, Marngnar said that although the state government and police have arrested 24 individuals allegedly involved in this attack, things are still unclear. “We saw reports in the media of police arresting 24 involved in the cases but we neither know where the government has kept them nor have we seen any picture. We are in the dark,” he bemoaned.
The KSU president also asserted that that they will keep on organising programmes for the implementation of ILP in Meghalaya.
“Since we will organise it (the programmes) in a democratic way and we don’t have any intention to create law and order problem in the state, I think the government should also understand,” he said.
Marngar informed that they will inaugurate a monument in memory of Lurshai at Ichamati on Sunday and will also organise a programme at Sohra.
It may be recalled that the Ichamati violence had left in its wake incidents of stabbings and killings, assaults, stone pelting, torching of government vehicles, et al. Curfew was clamped in select parts while companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) had also garrisoned most of the parts of the city.
It took only a day for the Ichamati violence to spill over to other parts of the state. The Crime Investigation Department (CID) of Meghalaya had also charge-sheeted more than 70 persons in connection with the Ichamati violence.