Shillong, Aug 20: Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, who holds the Home portfolio, today rejected allegations of an intelligence failure over the violence during the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) rally in Shillong yesterday, saying that permission was granted based on assurances that the protest would remain peaceful.
“There was no such failure,” Tynsong said, backing the East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner’s earlier statement to this effect.
However, the Deputy CM noted many participants wore black handkerchiefs and masks. “This attitude clearly shows that their intention was not for a peace rally, but it seems something else,” he said.
Tynsong assured of firm action against those involved in assaults and vandalism and said the Meghalaya Maintenance of Public Order (MMPO) Act is now in force. He added the government will ensure normal functioning of offices, markets and daily activities.
On criticism over the KSU’s 15-day ultimatum, he said the government had invited the union for talks through the DC but “they refused.” This stands in contrast to what the KSU said yesterday, namely that there had been no official or unofficial approach by the state. The KSU had served its ultimatum to force the government to accede to a charter of five specific demands.
“It’s not that we don’t want to invite them for talks. The invitation was made, but they refused,” he said, adding that the government’s doors remain open for dialogue with KSU and other organisations.
The MMPO Act has been invoked to recover costs for damage to public and private property caused during the KSU rally. The DC, Abhishek Baranwal, said the administration will impose financial sanctions on those found responsible for the destruction.
The state last night moved to arrest KSU members it held responsible for the violence, with the president Raymond Kharjana, vice-president Pynkmenlang Sanmiet and general secretary Reuben A Najiar all picked up from the pressure group’s headquarters in Jaiaw. A court today granted 14 days’ judicial custody of the trio.
Police said 15 FIRs have been registered so far. The violence left 31 vehicles vandalised, 16 people injured and two vehicles torched. A manhunt is underway to identify and arrest other accused involved.
Meanwhile, there has been criticism from residents of Jaiaw over “excessive” force used by police in the raid on the KSU headquarters. Police resorted to several rounds of tear gas, with damage to windows of homes in the area reported. Civilians, including the very young and elderly, also had to suffer through the effects of the tear gas. The KSU office is also just a stone’s throw from the H Gordon Roberts Hospital.
The DC and Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem both asserted that the force used was proportionate.
Syiem said the police faced resistance when they reached the office and were met with petrol bombs. The tear gas was used to disperse the mob that was confronting the police.
He also said that after the crowd was dispersed, residents came out and requested the police not to escalate the situation. The police then left the area.
The SP also defended the police response to yesterday’s violence, which has come in for criticism from some quarters that the authorities did not act to prevent the destruction and assaults.
Syiem said police had deployed personnel at strategic locations after permission was sought by the KSU for the demonstration. Incidents of violence and vandalism took place at locations where police were either absent or had limited presence. “The whole purpose of asking for permission is to follow the conditions,” Syiem said.
Although it sounds naive now, the police had trusted the organisers to comply with those conditions but that “trust had been broken”. Syiem also stated that it could become difficult to grant permission for future protests if organisations fail to follow the conditions imposed by the authorities.
The DC confirmed that a petrol bomb had been hurled at police in Jaiaw. “Now, when a petrol bomb is hurled at them, the police have to respond. However, the response was absolutely proportionate. There was no indiscriminate use of stun grenades or tear gas. They had to use one stun grenade and they used tear gas just to be able to at least disperse the crowd which was trying to attack the police forces.”
According to the DC, after the stun grenade was used, community leaders approached police and the forces quickly withdrew to avoid further inconvenience to residents.
“I do want to reiterate that the response was proportionate. There was no intention from the police side to cause any disturbance to anyone who was not part of this protest and, simultaneously, the aggression was from their end, wherein a petrol bomb was hurled at the police forces and police had to respond,” he said.
Regarding criticism that the police came to the KSU office in the dead of night without prior warning or intimation, Baranwal said that an element of surprise was required. “If you are going to inform everyone, that element of surprise is [lost]. To be able to create an atmosphere of safety and security within the city, to be able to give a message to the rest of the country that Shillong is not comfortable with what has happened yesterday, police had to show demonstrable action,” he said.
Meanwhile, Baranwal appealed to the KSU and other groups to respect administrative orders and refrain from holding processions, saying Shillong needs time to heal from the trauma of the violence of yesterday.
The DC said the request is not aimed at curbing democratic rights, but to “offer breathing space to the city to recover” following attacks on vehicles, pedestrians and bystanders that left the capital tense.
The administration noted that while peaceful expression of grievances will be protected, any further gatherings at this stage could aggravate the situation and hamper efforts to restore normalcy and public confidence.
