Nearly 200 villagers from Mawkynrew attempted to demolish an under-construction Ramakrishna Mission School today but were stopped by police, leading to clashes that left six people injured.
Tear gas and a “mild” lathi charge were employed by police to disperse the crowd and restore order. A curfew was subsequently clamped in the village by the East Khasi Hills District Magistrate.
Four police personnel and two civilians sustained minor injuries during the chaos. East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem informed that the situation is under control, with an additional 30 personnel deployed to maintain peace in the area.
Two somewhat different, but not mutually exclusive, narratives have emerged concerning the unrest.
On the one hand, it has been alleged that the incident was sparked by a contentious land allocation decision made by the village authorities of Mawkynrew Pyllun, which allotted land to the Ramakrishna Mission to construct a school.
Residents from Mawleiñ and Mawkynrew villages gathered in large numbers to protest against the decision, claiming that the disputed land had already been allocated to the Mawkynrew Sports Club for use as a playground. The protesters alleged that the decision to reallocate the land to the Ramakrishna Mission was made without their knowledge or consent.
Syiem, however, said that the land belongs to two villages, Mawlein and Mawkynrew, the new dorbar or village council of Mawkynrew opposes granting a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the school’s construction. This contradicts the decision of the previous Mawkynrew dorbar, which had approved the NOC, a stance still supported by Mawlein village.
“Yesterday, the village executive committee convened a meeting, instructing all villagers to gather at 9 a.m., with implements, with the intent of dismantling the new school under construction. Early this morning, a police team promptly intervened and prevented a group of approximately 200–250 people from advancing towards the school,” he said. “A case will be registered against the leaders who incited the crowd to gather and attempted to vandalise the school.”
Mawkynrew MLA keeps reporters waiting, then disappears
Meanwhile, Mawkynrew MLA Banteidor Lyngdoh avoided answering any questions from the press on the matter. He told a few reporters to wait in his office, promising to provide a statement, but left them in the lurch. Sources suggested that the MLA is in a difficult position, as making any comment could alienate a significant portion of his voter base. The timing of this could pose a major setback for the upcoming MDC election in which his wife is one of the candidates.
