Sit-in-Protest Amid Violence Against Minorities in Shillong; Meghalaya

Shillong’s minority communities have staged a sit-in protest against the recent violent incident in Lumdiengjri. On Sunday, a group of Shillong residents staged a sit-in protest at Police Bazar from 10 a.m  to 4 p.m.

Shri Sushit Kanti Choudhury and his wife Kalpana Choudhury made the first move to raise their voices against injustice, and they asked members of all minorities to join them so that their voices might be heard at the highest level.

According to the organizers, the protest will be organized to demand that the government intervene immediately and punish the perpetrators in accordance with the law.

Unknown miscreants attacked eight people in the Lumdiengjri area, on January 20. Three of the eight victims were taken to the hospital with significant injuries, while one of them, Chandan Paul, said the perpetrators stabbed him.

The unrest arose in response to the State’s violent onslaught on the minority community since 1979.

According to the protest’s official statement, such events have been the rule of the day and do not appear to be ending anytime soon. Since 1979, whenever such instances occur, they have been blamed on unknown miscreants. The lives of state minorities are continually threatened, and they live in fear.

They deplore the state law and order officials’ passivity in not taking significant action against such terrible crimes that threaten the peaceful existence of a cosmopolity like Shillong on a daily basis, according to the statement.

In light of the increased number of Covid-19 instances, however, the sit-in protest was approved while keeping to all protocols to be followed strictly.

A similar incident also occurred on the eve of New Year when an idol of goddess Kali was vandalized in a temple by unknown miscreants in Shillong City. That triggered outrage in the Hindu Community. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) also condemned the act.