SHILLONG, Nov 9: Is Chief Minister Conrad Sangma trying to stifle the voices of dissent in the state, the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) asked after a protest staged by its members at Rambrai in West Khasi Hills was reportedly bombarded by police.
In a statement on Wednesday, HYC general secretary Roy Kupar Synrem said that the HYC, as part of the Save Hynniewtrep Mission, was holding a peaceful protest at Rambrai on Wednesday with the objective to remind the chief minister about their points of demands included in the Mission.
According to him, the protest was supposed to be peaceful and democratic in anticipation of the CM’s arrival at the C&RD Block.
However, Synrem said the police intervened in the protest stifling the voice of protesters who are members of HYC and disbanded the protest by taking away all the placards and flags of the organisation.
Stating that in the melee, some members were hurt by the police action, the HYC leader said that the members present there still shouted slogans when the CM’s convoy passed by them.
According to him, the ability to hold peaceful protests and voicing opinions is a basic constitutional right in a democracy.
“After the lathi-charge on the protesting teachers, the action taken by the MDA Government’s police force today at Rambrai on our members is yet another undemocratic step in a series of violent breach of democracy and another attempt by this government to stifle the dissenting voice and opinions of the people in the state,” the HYC general secretary said.
He, however, said that these actions will only make them more emboldened and more actions from their side will follow in the days to come.
