By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 22: A viral video showing the Rangbah Shnong of a locality, allegedly from the Laitumkhrah area, interrupting Diwali celebrations and ordering some people to stop bursting crackers and clean the road in front of their house well before the 10 pm deadline, has triggered a flurry of reactions on social media.
In the video, the Rangbah Shnong is seen intervening as residents burst crackers outside their homes during the festival. A middle-aged man can be heard trying to reason with him, saying that while it was fair to ask people to clean up after the celebration, it was unjustified to disrupt the festivities midway.
The man is heard saying it is not right, and they could have been asked to clean after they were done, and not stopped from celebrating.
The footage also shows a few boys sweeping the area, grumbling that it is against their democratic rights as the exchange continues. When some residents told the Rangbah Shnong that his intervention during the celebration was inappropriate, he was heard responding, “I can do whatever I want.”
The incident drew widespread attention online. Social media platforms are flooded with comments—some supporting the Rangbah Shnong’s insistence on cleanliness, while others criticising what they described as an unnecessary intrusion into a peaceful celebration.
Several users defended the locality head, stating that he acted in the community’s interest by ensuring the roads remained clean and safe. Others, however, argued that even if cleanliness was a concern, residents should have been advised either beforehand or asked to clean up after completing their celebration, not in the middle of it.
A section of online users also tried giving the incident a communal angle. However, the disagreement appeared to stem more from differing opinions on civic responsibility and timing than from religious tensions.
While the local Dorbar authorities are yet to issue any statement, the video has reignited discussions in Shillong on the balance between enforcing civic discipline and respecting citizens’ rights to celebrate their festivals within permissible limits.
