Shillong, August 20 : The Meghalaya government has assured citizens and tourists of their safety following violence during Wednesday’s KSU rally, with additional security forces deployed in East Khasi Hills to prevent any further escalation.
East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Abhilash Baranwal said five additional companies of Central Armed Police Forces, including one Rapid Action Force company, have been deployed along with district police. “We are committed to the safety and security of all. We have deployed five additional companies of CAPF, including one RAF company, along with district police to ensure no further incident happens. Anyone taking law into their own hands will be dealt with strictly,” Baranwal said.
He appealed to residents of Shillong and East Khasi Hills to cooperate with the administration and police, report any untoward incident and refrain from spreading rumours.
Condemning the violence, the Deputy Commissioner said a series of assaults capable of disturbing the peaceful atmosphere of the city had no place in a civilised society.
According to Baranwal, the rally had been permitted under strict conditions and was scheduled to begin from Jaiaw at 4 PM. However, incidents of vandalism, arson and assaults on bystanders were reported during the rally, along with the desecration of statues of Swami Vivekananda and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
The DC said such incidents could adversely affect Meghalaya’s efforts to promote itself as a national and international tourism destination and could also impact livelihoods dependent on the sector.
He also confirmed reports that vehicles from Meghalaya were being stopped and vandalised near Jorabat in Assam. “We are seeing that near Jorabat, Meghalaya vehicles are being stopped. The district administration and Government of Meghalaya are taking it up strongly with the counterpart administration and government,” he said.
Baranwal said the Meghalaya government is coordinating with authorities in Assam to prevent retaliatory incidents and contain any repercussions arising from Wednesday’s violence.
He warned that such developments could also affect employment opportunities for Meghalaya’s youth outside the State. According to him, the Meghalaya State Skill Development Society has identified around 20,000 employment opportunities outside Meghalaya. “Any repercussions in any part of the country will deter our youth from pursuing employment opportunities outside and erode trust,” he said.
Responding to questions over why permission was granted for the rally, Baranwal said the government respects the democratic right to peaceful protest. “If there is a legal application for a peaceful protest, we wanted to facilitate that under strict conditions. Seeking permission to organize a protest is not permission to assault, to vandalize, to commit arson, to hurt children,” he said.
On concerns over possible security lapses, the DC said around 200 personnel had been deployed during the rally but acknowledged that the lengthy route had created vulnerable pockets.
He said intelligence inputs and the response of security agencies would be reviewed. “It is premature to call it a complete failure of intelligence. We did receive intelligence, that is why permission was given with strict conditions and deployment was done. Whether it was sufficient and timely disseminated is something we need to examine. We could have done better,” Baranwal said.
The Deputy Commissioner reiterated that permission to hold a peaceful demonstration cannot be interpreted as permission to commit violence, vandalism or other unlawful acts.
