SHILLONG, July 14: Close on the heels of the incidents of assault involving migrant workers in the state, retired senior police official Mariahom Kharkrang on Sunday said a more responsive action is expected of the government in dealing with the prevailing law and order situation.
Stating that his views are apolitical and have nothing to do with his party, Kharkrang said, “Meghalaya in general and Shillong in particular is way behind compared to other smaller states in respect of development.”
“We need to fast-track to keep pace with the other states. However, the recent incidents of violence will slow down the pace of development further and give good reasons to companies to abandon projects,” he said.
For the past week or so, the pressure groups, mainly Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), are visiting construction sites to check the documents of migrant labourers. The KSU had, in fact, set up its own ILP check gate in Ri-Bhoi. It was, however, dismantled soon after.
At least two incidents of assault of labourers were reported. Some workers were assaulted at the JN Stadium while there were also reports of National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) labourers being assaulted in Mawiong area when they were doing road construction work.
The police have registered at least four cases and intensified patrolling. Summonses were issued to a few leaders of the KSU to appear before police stations.
“The general public does expect the government to act in a manner that it does not escalate to the extent that all development works come to a stop as that will impact the state for years. A more responsive action is the need of the hour,” Kharkrang added.
Reacting to the recurring incidents of assault on migrant labourers, the Congress suggested that everyone should follow the law.
“My suggestion is that the government should follow the law and the pressure groups should also do that…If we follow and respect the law, then things will automatically fall in place,” state Congress chief Vincent H Pala said.
Asking the government to lead by example, he said, “The government, pressure groups and citizens should abide by the law and only then that we will reach somewhere.”
On worries about likely repercussions of the incidents elsewhere, Pala said, “Definitely, if you do something in the state, there may be repercussions in other states. So, unnecessarily, we are creating problem instead of solving.”
“It will be good if law is followed,” he said, adding that if law is not followed, there will be problems. Despite Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma’s statement that it is illegal for any individual or organisation to carry out checking of documents of a labourer, the KSU is still carrying out this activity.
Asked about the ongoing checking by the pressure groups in Shillong, Sangma had recently said there is nothing like work permit.
Stating that nobody is authorised to check the documents of labourers, Sangma had admitted that incidents do occur when individuals and groups go and conduct checking but he said this is not as per the law.
