Sunday, July 13, 2025
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Law and order: Spotlight on Thangkhiew’s killing

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By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, Dec 31: The year 2021 on the law and order front in the state was marked by the killing of former HNLC leader Cheristerfield Thangkhiew by the police, IED blasts and reports about the regrouping of insurgents.
Overall, the state remained peaceful as insurgent activities have virtually waned although the HNLC tried to make its presence felt by triggering twin IED blasts in Shillong and Khliehriat. Several MLAs and MDCs were served with demand notes by the insurgent group and this was confirmed by Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma himself.
Former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma had urged the government to take a serious note of reports that the extremists were trying to regroup in the Garo Hills region. Later, the police had confirmed the “increasing activities” but said they were criminals trying to take advantage of the vacuum created by the disbanding or surrender of most outfits.
On July 14, an IED blast occurred at the Khliehriat Police Reserve, damaging the wall of the staff quarters building. Then on August 10, another IED blast shook Laitumkhrah in Shillong, leaving two persons injured. The HNLC had claimed responsibility for both attacks.
Three days after the Shillong blast, the killing of Thangkhiew had led to a serious law and order problem in the city. The police had faced a backlash from the public for taking his life in a “fake encounter”.
On the day of his funeral on August 15, a group of youth had ransacked the Umshing-Mawkynroh police outpost, snatched the firearms of personnel and drove around town, brandishing the weapons.
Curfew had to be imposed and mobile Internet services blocked in four districts following incidents of vandalism and arson in Shillong and its neighbouring areas. The state government had instituted a probe into the killing and the report is yet to be submitted.
Social activist Joannes Lamare was arrested on October 17 along with three others for allegedly seeking help from rebel group NSCN-IM towards forming a militant group in Meghalaya. Lamare was granted bail by a local court on December 21.
Protests against
CAA, AFSPA
The state had witnessed protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Act, Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and proposed 210 MW hydroelectric project on the Umngot river. Later, the state government shelved the project by scrapping an agreement signed with private power developers.
Protests were also staged by various pressure groups demanding the implementation of Inner Line Permit or ILP while SSA teachers had hit the streets against non-payment of salaries.
OTHER MAJOR EVENTS
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had visited the state and chaired a meeting with the Chief Ministers, Chief Secretaries and Directors-General of Police of all states in the Northeast and inaugurated the Inter-State Bus Terminus at Mawiong and the Cryogenic Plant at the New Shillong township.
Later on November 10, the state got the new district of Eastern West Khasi Hills. It was inaugurated by CM Conrad K Sangma. Eastern West Khasi Hills was bifurcated from West Khasi Hills.
Long-pending issues
After years of legal battles over the Harijan Colony, the state government finally took over the land spread over 12,000 sq metres in October.
The government identified 184 employees and their families as legal settlers and is in the process of relocating them to the quarters of the Shillong Municipal Board and other departments.
After more than three years, the High-Level Committee (HLC) had submitted its report to the government in September. It was constituted on June 4, 2018 after violence had broken out in Shillong following clashes at Them Metor.
Border talks for solution
The CMs of Meghalaya and Assam had held the first official-level talks on the border issue in Shillong on July 23 and resolved to move “beyond status quo to solution”.
Both had also decided to take up six out of the 12 areas of differences in the first phase. Subsequently, three regional committees, headed by a Cabinet minister each, were formed by the respective states. As assigned, they visited the sites, spoke to locals and tried to understand the problem.
Following their submission of the reports in December, the two states set January 15 as the deadline to resolve the dispute in the six “less-complicated” areas.
COVID hits state hard
The second wave of the pandemic had hit Meghalaya not long after tourism was reopened. The worst affected districts were East Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills and West Garo Hills. Lockdown was imposed in East Khasi Hills in May after it had witnessed a spike in the numbers of daily cases and deaths.
Night curfews and weekend lockdowns were also imposed in other affected districts. The vaccination drive had kicked off on January 16 with the health workers first getting the jabs.
When the overall situation improved, schools and colleges were reopened in September after a gap of more than a year. The arrangement was, however, adjusted depending on the COVID situation in the districts and schools. While online learning continued in most schools, classroom teaching was restarted mostly in rural areas.

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