A day after CCTV footages emerged of the brazen attack inside the Shillong Civil Hospital police have registered against the unidentified miscreants.
Security of the government hospital was compromised on November 24 as masked miscreants, armed with sticks entered the premises and attacked a policeman inside after a candle light vigil to protest the killing of five Meghalaya residents due to firing by Assam police and forest guards at Mukroh village along Assam-Meghalaya border.
This is the first massive breach of hospital safety in Meghalaya, which caused fear among people, patients and staff.
Citizens have condemned the attack calling it “ugly” and shame to the State.
On that day massive clashes between police and protestors broke out following the mourning which was held next to the statue of U Kiang Nangbah opposite the hospital. The CCTV footage emerged only yesterday.
The Nazareth Hospital Workers’ Union has condemned the attack inside the government hospital. “Such attacks should be condemned especially in health institutions. If there is a bandh or a curfew, health workers are the first who are on the job to serve the people,” the union said in a statement.
It also urged citizens of the state to protest with an understanding and to get justice without hurting or harming human lives.
Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) leader Thomas Passah said that there is a feeling of insecurity among the public and the empty roads and closed shops have only sent a wrong message to many, especially to others states.
He said that if such kind of situation is experienced in Shillong city, the very purpose of getting justice for what had happened to people at Mukroh gets defeated.
The killing of six people in Mukroh village on November 22 and the subsequent protests that followed the incident have sent residents into panic mode as all shops in the GS Road and Police Bazar downing their shutters even as people are apprehensive to go outside.
Amid the current tension, the State government has deployed additional security forces in all sensitive areas of the city to thwart any attempt to cause trouble.
Citizens also observed that the district administration has failed in containing these attacks. They also questioned how such rallies are protests are being allowed when the district magistrate had imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC on October 31 following the random attacks on innocent people during an unemployment rally.
The order was imposed to prevent any groups or untoward elements from blatantly misusing rallies/processions to indulge in criminal acts, thereby disrupting public order.
Meanwhile, the situation along the Assam-Meghalaya border remained tense but “under control” with security forces ensuring no further flare-ups, officials said.
Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC remained imposed in the disputed area amidst heavy deployment of security forces, they said.
