Shillong, July 12 : The Khun Hynñiewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) has strongly opposed the imposition of Section 144 Crpc by the East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner, R.M. Kurbah in and around Shillong City. The order prohibits the opening of shops after 10 pm.
In a statement, KHNAM working president Thomas Passah said that the imposition of section 144 Crpc by the East Khasi Hills District Commissioner in and around the city and also prohibit opening of shops after 10 pm is a manifestation and a confession of the police department that they are incapable of maintaining law and order on their own. By this order the State Government is loudly making a statement that the State Police and its machinery cannot ensure safety of the public and the only way to ensure law and order is to lock people inside their homes. If that is the case, then even terrorist can ensure law and order we do not need police.
Due to unemployment most of the household are trying to earn their livelihood my selling eatables at night at khyndailad, Laitumkhrah etc. just to be able to meet their ends. Now because of some drunken quarrel and to hide the failure of the police department to tackle it, it is not justified to force people to stop earning for their needs. Another important point is that, why closed the petty food shops why not closed the pups/clubs centres where people gather to be intoxicated, we do not see that eating a plate of rice at 11 pm in Khyndailad or Laitumkhrah intoxicate a person.
Now the imposition of 144 Crpc and forcing shops to closed before 10 pm is an attempt by the Government to stop people from trying to earn their daily bread, thereby affecting their lives and the lives of the family members and most importantly this decision of the Government clearly violated right of the citizen given to them under “Article 21, which clearly states that right to livelihood is an integral part of the Right to life. If one’s Right to livelihood would be deprived, then it means that we are taking that person’s Right to life”
KHNAM demand that the Government immediately revoke the order to stop people from opening their petty shops to earn their living. We do not want to embarrass the Goverment by approaching the court, which we will if we are forced to.
