The army was asked to be on standby and curfew continued in parts of Meghalaya’s capital Shillong for the third day on Saturday after night-long violence during which a mob burnt a shop, a house and damaged at least five vehicles besides injuring a senior police officer.
At least 500 people have been given shelter in an army cantonment, a Defence Ministry spokesperson said. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, who chaired a high-level meeting on Friday, has appealed for calm.
The miscreants also damaged five tourist vehicles coming from Guwahati on Friday night. As the violence escalates, the Meghalaya government has sought five more companies of Central forces to deal with the situation. At least 10 tourists, including a child, were injured in the night-long violence, sources said.
There were sporadic incidents of stone-throwing at some places in the city last night. A petrol bomb was hurled by protesters at one place overnight. No one was injured. Besides these two incidents last night, the overall situation has improved, the police said.
The Army was requisitioned by the state government to conduct flag march in the affected areas. Army troops conducted the flag march and rescued about 500 people, including 200 women and children, Defence spokesperson Ratnakar Singh told reporters in Shillong.
Curfew was imposed in Shillong from 10 pm on Friday till 5 am on Saturday to maintain peace after violence continued in parts of the city. Mobile internet and SMS services have been indefinitely suspended in Shillong to prevent people from spreading rumours. Night curfew will remain. Eight people have been arrested in connection with the violence.
Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma has appealed for peace and said that the government is committed to work for the people and requested them to lend their support in doing so for the larger interest of the people of the state. Sangma reviewed the whole situation in a high level meeting in Shillong on Saturday, where home minister James K Sangma, health minister AL Hek, tourism minister Metbah Lyngdoh, sports minister Banteidor Lyngdoh were present.
The government had imposed a curfew in areas under Lumdiengjri police station and Cantonment Beat House from 4 am on Friday as the unrest spread to Motphran, Mawkhar and adjoining areas following Thursday’s clashes. However, angry demonstrators violated the curfew and continued to clash with police and threw stones.
The police fired teargas shells and used canes to control the protesters who attacked them with stones between Mawkhar and Motphran areas.
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