Shillong, (Samajweekly) The Save Hynniewtrep Mission (SHM), a conglomerate of NGOs in Meghalaya, organised a rally in Shillong on Tuesday violating the prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPc and met Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong in support of their nine-point demand, including the promulgation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the northeastern state.
Days after a rally was marred by incidents of violence in Shillong on October 28, the administration of the East Khasi Hills district — under which the state capital falls — had on Monday night promulgated prohibitory orders in the city and adjoining areas, banning all kinds of gatherings and rallies, except religious processions.
SHM leader Roy Kupar Synrem, who is also the General Secretary of Hynniewtrep Youth Council, said they had informed the Deputy CM about launching the SHM and they would further intensify their stir by organising a series of agitations.
“Not just in Shillong, whenever the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister or any minister visits any part of the state, our members and volunteers would go there to ask questions and remind them as to what happened to our nine-point charter of demands,” Synrem told the media.
The SHM’s demands include imposition of Inner Line Permit to protect the indigenous people of Meghalaya, inclusion of Khasi language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution, solution to the long-pending Harijan Colony issue and review of the MoU signed between Meghalaya and Assam in phase one of inter-state border talks.
The SHM is also demanding a CBI or judicial probe into the killing of Cherristerfield Thangkhiew, filling up of vacant posts in government departments and immediate repeal of Gambling Act.
According to the report of a judicial commission in the killing of Thangkhiew tabled in the Assembly recently, Meghalaya Police killed the former extremist leader last year in “a reckless operation using excessive force”.
On violating of prohibitory orders, Synrem said: “The Supreme Court has time and again said that you cannot implement laws in order to keep out people from protesting to uphold their rights and genuine issues.”
Claiming that most of their members were stopped by the police in Jaintia Hills, upper Shillong and Ri-Bhoi, he said that just half of the members and supporters could join the rally in Shillong because of the police action.
“But let me make it clear, we will not abide by this kind of law and order measures imposed by the district magistrate,” he said.
Tension has been prevailing in Shillong and its outskirts after the October 28 rally organised by the Federation of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) highlighting unemployment problems in Meghalaya.
According to eyewitnesses, a section of FKJGP members, many of them masked, punched, kicked and pushed passersby indiscriminately, injuring a large number of people, mostly non-tribals, and causing panic and huge traffic jams in the area.
