'Line That Cannot Be Crossed': Conrad Sangma's Warning On Shillong Violence

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has appealed to people to remain calm amid ongoing tensions between Assam and Meghalaya following the violence in Shillong on August 19, while warning that those who tried to create fear in society would face strong action.

Calling the developments "very, very unfortunate", Sangma said the government would not spare those responsible for creating fear.

"There are people who tried to create fear in the system and in society. We will not leave those people. We are going to take very, very strong action against those people who have tried to create that fear," he said.

Sangma said people should not be worried about the situation, adding that the immediate tension had eased after discussions and negotiations.

The Chief Minister also said the violence should serve as a lesson for the government, organisations and other stakeholders.

"People have the right to protest peacefully. But nobody has the right to take the law into their own hands or cause harm to innocent people," he said.

He also called on people and organisations to take responsibility for maintaining peace.

"Society also needs to come forward and send a strong message that violence is not acceptable," Sangma said.

The Chief Minister said his government would continue to engage with organisations and hold discussions on issues raised by them, but warned that such engagement had limits.

"There is a line that cannot be crossed. We have always been open to dialogue and discussions, but if that line is crossed, then action will be taken as per the law," he said.

The Meghalaya government has said 31 vehicles were damaged during the August 19 violence, including eight Assam-registered vehicles. Eighteen people were also injured.

The Meghalaya Police have arrested another Khasi Students Unionfunctionary in connection with the violence that erupted in Shillong on August 19, taking the total number of arrests to four, while seeking the return of three accused currently lodged in jails at Baghmara, Williamnagar and Tura to facilitate the ongoing investigation.

Fifteen cases have been registered in connection with the incident, according to the government. Five masked persons have so far been identified, particularly in connection with attacks on Assam-registered vehicles.

A Special Investigation Team has also been constituted to investigate the incidents and identify those involved.

Meanwhile, efforts are continuing to ease movement between Assam and Meghalaya. A joint meeting of representatives from the two states on August 22 led to the lifting of the road blockade at Jorabat, following which the movement of essential commodities resumed.

The two states have also established a dedicated hotline and proposed district-level joint committees involving officials and police to deal with issues along the inter-state border.

A joint committee involving transport authorities and tourist vehicle associations has also been proposed to facilitate the movement of tourists and protect the tourism interests of both states.