SHILLONG, April 6: The Vishva Hindu Parishad which was scheduled to organise a shobha yatra (procession) on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti on Friday, has announced cancellation of the same due to the law-and-order situations cited by the district administration.
This comes close on the heels of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) Laban Circle lodging a complaint with the East Khasi Hills district authorities on Thursday alleging that the members of Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), during a rally in Shillong on April 2, had shouted slogans that they will convert Meghalaya into a Hindu state.
Talking to reporters after meeting East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner, KSU Laban Circle president Reuben Najiar claimed the passers-by had also heard the rallyists warning of Gujarat riots-type situations in Meghalaya soon.
He said the Union expressed its resentment before the DC. The procession disturbed the prevailing peaceful atmosphere and religious harmony in the society after videos of it had gone viral on social media, he said.
“This procession is nothing but a showcase of power and dominance of one religion over other religions,” Najiar said.
He said the Union respects every religion and the rights of individuals to profess any religion but it will not endure any act that is aimed at fanning communal passions.
He said when the procession was passing through Red Cross, Laban to Laban lewdak, a group of hundreds of people on two-wheelers and in cars and buses stopped outside the Laban Presbyterian Church at around 1 pm and chanted slogans, including “Jai Sri Ram”, for about ten minutes, thereby disturbing the Church service.
Najiar alleged it was done with a malafide intention to provoke and scare the Christians of the state. He mentioned that the Christians will be observing Good Friday and Easter Sunday on April 7 and 9 respectively.
“We urged the district administration to ensure that such rallies are not permitted during those days which clash with Christian observations,” he said.
In a memorandum submitted to the DC, the Union lamented that the Laban Police personnel had remained mere spectators.
“Such an act of spinelessness and cowardice by the Laban Police is condemnable and requires immediate intervention,” Najiar said.
He alleged the participants of the rally were later heading towards the St. John Parish to do the same thing but stopped by the police. He said the personnel were forced to act by some locals.
The Union asked when “Ram Navami’ was celebrated on March 30 elsewhere in the country, why it was celebrated on April 2 in Shillong which was a Palm Sunday – a holy Sunday for the Christians.
According to the KSU leader, it was done to hurt religious sentiments and provoke the Christians. He said the district administration granting permission for the rally is questionable. The Union lamented that no action has been taken so far by the administration or the police in connection with the incident.
