SHILLONG, Oct 29: Concern kept brewing on Saturday among different sections of people including legislators and various organisations over the violence during the Federation of Khasi Jaintia Garo People’s (FKJGP) rally with some calling the incident a warning sign for the government, and others terming it the saddest moment in Meghalaya’s history, as more voices of dissent kept pouring in against Friday’s mayhem.
Senior BJP leader AL Hek has cast aspersions on the silence of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, who is known to be very active on social media, and Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui. He said their silence is but a reflection of lack of leadership, care and concern about the safety of all citizens of the state.
“We cannot remain a mere spectator and keep silent on such incidents happening in Meghalaya. It is high time we raise our voice to ensure that our state is peaceful and everyone has the right to live peacefully,” Hek, who is also Adviser to the CM, said on Saturday.
“Where were our chief minister and home minister when people were getting beaten on the streets in broad daylight? It is a shame,” Hek added.
On the reported claims of police personnel on the ground not having the go-ahead to act, the BJP leader questioned why they needed an order to protect citizens. “The duty of police is to protect every citizen and why do they need to be given order to protect the citizens. Will they wait for the order till people die, or is it their duty to protect the life of innocent citizens first? It is the responsibility of police to ensure that life of every citizen is protected,” he added.
Stating that he was one of the founding members and former general secretary of the FKJGP, he said, “I condemn the incident”.
Lashing out at the district administration, the BJP leader alleged mismanagement. “It is a fact that it was mismanaged. When the teachers went for a peaceful rally, they used all means to stop them but for the people who were vandalising and beating people up, there is no law,” he said.
“How are we running the government without any law and order?” he questioned, while calling for action against the perpetrators by the government, administration and police
“They should not spare anybody,” he asserted.
‘Warning sign’
Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Sangma said the violence during the public rally in Shillong is a warning sign for the state government.
Speaking at a block-level meeting of his party at Gambegre in West Garo Hills on Saturday, he lamented that the rally taken out by the FKJGP turned violent, leaving some people injured.
Calling it the saddest moment in the history of Meghalaya, he said the youth, who took part in the rally that was organised to flag the issue of unemployment, lost all hopes and took the law into their own hands.
“It is a clear warning sign and hence, we need to be careful,” Sangma cautioned.
His party MDC Sadhiarani Sangma slammed the government for allegedly failing to maintain peace in the state.
“We are regularly witnessing protests and rallies on various issues. During the recent protest by the teachers, the police had acted barbarically. I appeal to people to work for bringing change and it can come only by supporting the Trinamool,” she asserted.
State BJP president condemns attacks
BJP state president Ernest Mawrie condemned the attacks on innocent people, including schoolchildren and journalists. Referring to the apology tendered by FKJGP president Dundee Cliff Khongsit, Mawrie said an apology is a step in the right direction but it is not enough.
He asked the FKJGP to identify and hand over all those responsible for the assault and vandalism. He said the perpetrators of the crime tarnished the image of not only the organisation but also the community and the state.
“This incident has damaged the image of Shillong and Meghalaya all over the world as these negative news spreads like wildfire on social media,” Mawrie said.
He said the BJP leadership was concerned over the alleged breakdown of law and order in Shillong.
He asked Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui to conduct a fair inquiry into the incidents, specifically the role of the police. He claimed the police remained mute spectators during the attacks. Further, he demanded that the state government compensate the injured and arrest the culprits.
Mawrie said he met top police officials and urged them to ensure that such incidents do not recur.
Meanwhile, the police said three persons had sustained minor injuries in the incidents and they were released from hospital after first aid. The police have not disclosed if they made any arrest. They said the investigation is in progress.
No arrests yet
No arrest has been made in relation to the sporadic attacks on public by masked protesters in the city.
“We are still investigating into this incident,” a senior police official on Saturday.
Tourism worry
On the other hand, Federation of Shillong Hotels has condemned the acts of violence against innocent bystanders and motorists.
In a statement, the organisation said, “The matter becomes more grave as it was a simple rally to protest against unemployment but common citizens were assaulted and their modesty was outraged in public while the administration was a mere spectator.”
Lamenting the effect of the incident on tourism-related activities, it said messages on social media that emerged after the assaults reflect a poor image of the state, which relies highly on tourism.
“The stakes of the population of the state are very high in the tourism sector, which alone generates huge employment opportunities. The perpetrators of such crimes only succeed in spreading hatred and racism. Such unfortunate events drive away the investors and employment providers from the state to make matters even worse,” the statement read.
It further questioned the role of the government in ‘failing’ to control the situation.
It may be recalled that thousands had gathered from across the state, rallied with flags in their hands and chanted slogans like Ha ri la jong katba mon, which translates to “we do as we wish in our own land”.
The assault cases were first reported from GS Road and in the absence of any police action, the violence escalated at Dhankheti.
A scooty rider was attacked by two masked protesters at GS Road while in Dhankheti several people were beaten up with flags leaving the traffic cops on duty dumbfounded. Several two-wheelers were vandalised and one person was injured after being assaulted by the protesters.
Evangelist Nicholas Khongwar, a reporter with vernacular daily U Mawphor, was also assaulted for taking videos despite him pleading that he was from the press.
While several onlookers were injured, two persons had to be taken to the hospital for medical attention. They were discharged later. Shopkeepers hurriedly downed their shutters while citizens were seen scampering for safety.