Shillong, Aug 21: The youth wing of the United Democratic Party (UDP) has accused police of not providing sufficient security to the rally conducted by the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) on Wednesday, which then turned violent, resulting in damage to property and injuries to several innocent passersby.
The UDP youth wing also criticised the state government and police for the crackdown against the KSU following the violence, specifically the raid on the pressure group’s headquarters late on Wednesday night, which saw tear gas and a stun grenade deployed by the authorities.
The UDP is a constituent member of the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance.
In a release today, the party’s youth wing said that the actions of the authorities have added “fuel to the fire” instead of restoring peace.
Before their arrest in the raid, senior KSU leaders said that its members had not been violent but that outside elements may have used the rally to cause trouble and hijack the protest. Police have also come in for criticism for not doing enough to ensure that there were no untoward incidents. Yesterday police said that it was the KSU that betrayed the trust shown in it to maintain order during its own rally.
The police raid on the KSU’s HQ was also criticised before today for using tear gas and a stun grenade in a residential neighbourhood (which is also near a hospital) late at night.
“The KSU has already said they had nothing to do with the earlier incidents and even offered to help police find the culprits. So why this heavy-handed action?” the UDP youth wing asked. “The duty of the government is to bring peace, but instead it is adding fuel to the fire by acting in this manner. The question is, is the government doing this deliberately to avoid addressing the demands of the KSU?” the statement said.
The KSU had called for the rally after the government did not accede to five specific demands of the pressure group. The UDP youth wing urged the government to immediately hold talks with student leaders after making arrangements to release them, so that peace and normalcy can return to the state.
Much of the violence on Wednesday targetted Assam-registered vehicles and this has led to trouble between Meghalaya and its giant neighbour. The UDP raised concern over the blocking of Meghalaya vehicles at Jorabat, saying it has affected people’s livelihood, and warned that threats to drive out Meghalaya students from Assam will create further difficulties if the government does not take serious steps to address the situation.
Meanwhile, members of the Khasi Jaintia Christian Leaders Forum (KJCLF) and the Synjuk ki Nongsynshar Shnong ka Bri Hynniewtrep (SNSBH) have also expressed grave concern over the incidents in Shillong and its suburbs and called for peace and harmony.
At a special meeting held on Thursday, both groups disapproved of the use of tear gas shells in a residential area late at night. They urged authorities to ensure that while the rule of law is upheld, the intent should be to guide and reform, not punish.
The meeting also denounced acts of violence and the destruction of public and private property, including injuries to people caught in the unrest. It expressed remorse over damage and disrespect caused to items of national significance, seemingly a reference to statues of Subhas Chandra Bose and Swami Vivekananda, which were desecrated during the rally.
The KJCLF and SNSBH appealed to youth and citizens in Shillong and in neighbouring states to maintain cordiality and fraternity during this period of difficulty.
