SHILLONG, Oct 30: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, known to be social media-savvy, has uncharacteristically chosen to be quiet on the October 28 violence during a rally organised by the FKJGP.
The police, too, have declined to say if they have detained or arrested anyone involved in the attacks on bystanders and commuters at Dhankheti during the rally.
The silence has been deafening as photos and videos of one of the most aggressive assaulters that day have gone viral through WhatsApp. The youth in a white T-shirt and white trousers with his face covered and carrying the FKJGP flag in one hand is seen kicking and beating everyone on the road at Dhankheti.
The incident induced reactions from beyond the state.
Some groups in southern Assam’s Silchar have demanded the reimposition of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in Meghalaya to keep violence in check.
They have also urged the people of Barak Valley to avoid visiting the state for tourism.
Apart from condemning the violence during the FKJGP rally, an organisation called Hindu Chatra Sangha criticised the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) for calling Bengalis “chamchas” of the British while panning a Diwali ad by Netflix.
The KSU asked Netflix to apologise for the wrong depiction of culture in Meghalaya and for referring to Sohra as Cherrapunji.
“There is no place called Cherrapunji in Meghalaya. The correct name is Sohra. Cherrapunji is a fictitious name coined by the Bengali chamchas and their British masters,” KSU general secretary Donald Thabah said in a social media post.
In their Facebook status, the Hindu Chatra Sangha said AFSPA must be enforced in Meghalaya again to establish the rule of law to a certain degree as the state government has time and again failed to contain, control or punish the offenders who commit mob lynching, stabbing and move about brandishing guns.
Autumn Festival takes a hit
The two-day Shillong Autumn Festival at Umiam, which is usually a crowd-puller, recorded a low turnout this year due to the violence in the city on Friday, organisers have said, adding that 70 per cent of those who booked online tickets did not turn up.
Thousands of visitors from Assam, West Bengal and other states attend the festival every year. The festival is a major tourist attraction of Meghalaya.
(With inputs from PTI)
