Tura, July 24: In an unprecedented situation, Chief Minister, Conrad along with his cabinet colleague, PHE minister, Marcusie Marak, senior officials of the government and the leaders of the protesting group led by ACHIK, were stuck inside the premises of the Mini Secretariat in Tura after an unruly crowd of protesters had become violent and attacked the secretariat.
At least 5 police personnel were also injured till filing of this report as thousands of people, began to pelt stones at the secretariat. The ambulance posted for the service of the hunger strikers was damaged in the attack and also burnt. Showing that the anger was also directed at the protestors, the pandal where the protest was being undertaken was also burnt down.
Following reports of violence a large contingent of policemen as well as CRPF personnel were rushed to the site. Tear gas shells were exploded to disperse the crowd, but that seemed to have had little effect on the situation. As per reports, more than 1000 persons with vested interests, as per the organizers, were behind the violence.
ACHIK has been on a 13-day hunger strike over the twin demands of setting up a Winter Capital in Tura as well as the clearance of back log of jobs meant for the Garo community.
Currently, it is difficult to decipher the reason for the violence.
According to some of the people who are currently stuck in the CMO office in Tura, the meeting began at 3:30 PM wherein a partial solution had been worked out. The meeting ended at around 6 PM. However, just prior to the end of the meeting an agitation broke out with protesters sloganeering and rubbishing the current NPP- led government.
The NGO members were asked to speak to the agitating groups but after coming back, the hunger strike organizers came back saying that they were not aware of most of the group and their words were not being heard by them.
Chaos broke out immediately after with the mob started pelting stones, bricks and whatever they could lay their hands on.
The CM himself was in the premises when the violence began and did not leave till the writing of this report. At least 3 policemen, 1 policewoman and a woman home guard were injured during the violence.
“I am still here overseeing matters. As a lot of our people have been injured I don’t want to leave them in this condition. The situation is improving and hopefully normalcy will resume,” said the CM during a conversation with a news channel.
Meanwhile following reports of violence, shops in the other parts of the town of Tura downed shutters almost immediately.
“We didn’t venture outside as we too could be attacked if we did so. The situation has been relaxing a little with only a handful of protesters still lingering on,” said one of the media persons who came to the CMO premises to cover the meeting. They are yet to leave the venue.