Citizens who joined the nationwide demonstration called by the Awaken Indian Movement (AIM), against mandatory vaccination and lockdown, had to stage their protest at the Motphran parking lot and not allowed to proceed further by government authorities.
The group had earlier planned to march to GS Road via Police Bazar, Meghalaya Secretariat, IGP Point, Dhanketi, Laitumkhrah and finally to Madan Iewrynghep (Fire Brigade).
Awaken India Movement (AIM) has called for demonstrations in multiple cities across India in solidarity with the world.
AIM member, Banshai Marbaniang said that they had to hit the streets as the State government is trying to take away their fundamental rights by forcing vaccination, mandatory masking and testing and discriminating based on vaccine status.
He said that he was not against the state government, but the idea to force people to take the vaccine is what he was against. “People who are not willing to take the vaccine are harassed by being forced to test every ten days while the others who are not vaccinated are asked to put the vaccination status which is discriminatory in nature,” he stated.
Alleging that many employees have been told to either get vaccinated or they will be removed, Marbaniang asked how will the daily wage earners and others live if they are asked to stay at home in the absence of any help from the State Government?
He maintained that people should also not be harassed on the pretext of enforcing masking.
North Shillong MLA, Adelbert Nongrum who came in support to Motphran said he came because he is a concerned citizen and that freedom of speech and expression should be respected.
